KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An organization that’s been around for more than a century working to get people election informed and able to vote says a new Missouri law restricts the work they do.
The League of Women Voters and the NAACP filed a lawsuit to protect their free speech and voters' rights.
This lawsuit aims to block a new law going into effect in just five days.
The League of Women Voters says this law criminalizes the work they do.
“Hopefully this will eliminate some of this possible punishment for this great work that we do,” Marilyn McLeod, president for the League of Women Voters Missouri Chapter, said.
The groups hope to block the law that’s focused on voter ID requirements, making it illegal to solicit or give out absentee ballots and prohibiting people to receive compensation while trying to register voters.
With a new law on the books, she’s worried the work that the women league of voters does will be set back.
“The law is so vague we aren’t sure what that means, the word compensates, because we do have members that go out to different places,"Mcleod said. "They might have mileage and parking, we like to reimburse them if they want reimbursement. If that becomes an illegal act, that is of great concern."
They say all of these things discriminate against voters and harm the work done by organizations to get voters involved.
“This is all free speech issues, but that one is quite astonishing because we are merely trying to help people vote in the best, easiest way they can,” McLeod said.
KSHB 41 reached out to the Missouri Secretary of State, the Attorney General and the sponsor of the original bill, Rep. John Simmons on the lawsuit.
This story will be updated if a response is received.
“We want to do our work, we love engaging voters, registering voters, making voting better, easier and convenient,” McLeod said.
Unless a court intervenes, the changes will take effect for the Nov. 8 election.
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