Priorities USA v. State of Missouri ( 2020 )

SUPREME COURT OF MISSOURI
en banc
PRIORITIES USA, ET AL., ) Opinion issued January 14, 2020
)
Respondents, )
)
v. ) No. SC97470
)
STATE OF MISSOURI, ET AL., )
)
Appellants. )
APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COLE COUNTY
The Honorable Richard G. Callahan, Judge
Priorities USA, Mildred Gutierrez, Ri Jayden Patrick, and West County
Community Action Network (“Respondents”) 1 filed a petition for declaratory and
injunctive relief against the Missouri secretary of state, alleging section 115.427
unconstitutionally burdens individuals’ right to vote. Specifically, they contend that
prospective voters, because of their personal circumstances, will have difficulty adhering
to section 115.427’s photo identification requirements. 2 After a bench trial, the circuit
court entered a judgment finding section 115.427 constitutional except for subsections
1
Priorities USA is a nonprofit organization whose focus is to promote voting. Gutierrez and
Patrick are registered Missouri voters. West County Community Action Network is a volunteer-
run coalition that promotes racial equality in St. Louis.
2
All statutory references are to RSMo 2016, unless otherwise specified.
2(1) and 3, the affidavit requirement. Subsection 2(1) permits individuals to vote with
listed forms of non-photo identification if they execute an affidavit that meets certain
requirements. The related subsection 3 provides the affidavit language. The circuit court
enjoined the State from requiring individuals who vote under this option to execute the
affidavit required under subsections 2(1) and 3. The circuit court also enjoined the State
from disseminating materials indicating photo identification is required to vote. The
State appeals.
Because the affidavit requirement of sections 115.427.2(1) and 115.427.3 is
misleading and contradictory, the circuit court’s judgment declaring the affidavit
requirement unconstitutional is affirmed. Further, the circuit court did not err in
enjoining the State from requiring individuals who vote under the non-photo
identification option provided in section 115.427.2(1) to execute the affidavit or in
enjoining the dissemination of materials indicating photo identification is required to
vote. The circuit court’s judgment is affirmed.
Background
In 2016, the legislature truly agreed to and passed section 115.427, which became
effective in 2017. Section 115.427 establishes three options under which individuals can
identify themselves for purposes of voting.
Under the first option, in subsection 1 of section 115.427, an individual can
present acceptable forms of personal identification, all of which contain the individual’s
photograph. Under the second option, as found in subsection 2 of section 115.427, an
individual who does not possess the types of photo identification provided under the first
2
option can vote by executing a statutorily specified affidavit and presenting a form of
non-photo identification expressly authorized by section 115.427.2(1). The affidavit
individuals are required to execute under the second option must be “substantially” in the
form provided in section 115.427.3. Individuals must aver they are listed in the precinct
register, do not possess personal identification approved for voting, are eligible to receive
a Missouri non-driver’s license free of charge, and are required to present a form of
personal identification to vote. Section 115.427.3.
Finally, under the third option, individuals can cast a provisional ballot, which will
be counted if: (1) the voter returns to the polling place during the polling hours and
provides an approved form of photo identification under option one, or (2) the election
authority compares the individual’s signature with the signature reflected on the election
authority’s file and confirms the individual is eligible to vote at that particular polling
place. Section 115.427.4.
Respondents filed a petition for declaratory and injunctive relief against the
secretary of state, alleging section 115.427 unconstitutionally restricts the right to vote in
Missouri by imposing burdens on prospective voters who, because of their personal
circumstances, will have difficulty adhering to section 115.427’s identification
requirements.
After a bench trial, the circuit court entered a judgment finding section 115.427
constitutional except for the affidavit requirement in subsections 2(1) and 3. The circuit
court determined the affidavit was contradictory and misleading and, accordingly,
impermissibly infringed on an individual’s right to vote. The circuit court enjoined the
3
State from requiring individuals who vote under the second option to execute the
affidavit required under subsections 2(1) and 3. The circuit court also enjoined the State
from disseminating materials that indicated photo identification is required to vote. The
State appeals. 3
Standard of Review
This Court reviews de novo a challenge to the constitutional validity of a statute.
Williams v. Mercy Clinic Springfield Cmtys., 568 S.W.3d 396, 406 (Mo. banc 2019). A
statute is presumed constitutional and will not be found unconstitutional unless it “clearly
and undoubtedly violates the constitution.” Id. (quotation omitted). “Nonetheless, if a
statute conflicts with a constitutional provision or provisions, this Court must hold the
statute invalid.” Weinschenk v. State, 203 S.W.3d 201, 210 (Mo. banc 2006). The party
challenging the statute’s constitutional validity bears the burden of proving a violation.
Williams, 568 S.W.3d at 406.
“The issuance of injunctive relief, along with the terms and provisions thereof,
rests largely with the sound discretion of the trial court.” Edmunds v. Sigma Chapter of
Alpha Kappa, 87 S.W.3d 21, 29 (Mo. App. 2002). The circuit court “is vested with a
broad discretionary power to shape and fashion relief to fit the particular facts,
circumstances and equities of the case before it.” Burg v. Dampier, 346 S.W.3d 343, 357
(Mo. App. 2011).
3
This Court’s jurisdiction is proper pursuant to article V, section 3 of the Missouri Constitution
because this appeal involves the question of section 115.427’s constitutional validity.
Jurisdiction is proper over the case’s other issues because, once jurisdiction attaches to a case, it
extends to all issues. In re Estate of Austin, 389 S.W.3d 168, 170 n.9 (Mo. banc 2013).
4
Analysis
I. The Affidavit Requirement
The State argues the circuit court erred in enjoining the use of the affidavit when
voting under option two because the affidavit requirement does not burden the right to
vote and is constitutional. In response, Respondents assert the affidavit requirement is
misleading and contradictory and, accordingly, impinges on voters’ right to equal
protection and the fundamental right to vote as guaranteed by the Missouri Constitution.
A. The Constitutional Validity of the Affidavit Requirement
Two constitutional provisions establish “with unmistakable clarity” that Missouri
citizens have a fundamental right to vote. Weinschenk, 203 S.W.3d at 211. Article I,
section 25 provides that “all elections shall be free and open; and no power, civil or
military, shall at any time interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage.”
Article VIII, section 2 establishes the qualifications necessary to vote in Missouri.
Missouri courts have made clear that, pursuant to these provisions, the right to vote is
fundamental. Weinschenk, 203 S.W.3d at 211 & n.15.
Further, the Missouri Constitution guarantees its citizens the equal protection of
the laws. Mo. Const. art. I, sec. 2 (“[A]ll persons are created equal and are entitled to
equal rights and opportunity under the law.”). But, as this Court has previously indicated,
“some regulation of the voting process is necessary to protect the right to vote itself.”
Weinschenk, 203 S.W.3d at 212. To determine the level of scrutiny that should be
applied to evaluate a statute addressing the right to vote, Missouri courts first evaluate the
extent of the burden imposed by the statute. Id. If a statute severely burdens the right to
5
vote, strict scrutiny applies, which means the law “will be upheld only if it is narrowly
tailored to serve a compelling state interest.” Peters v. Johns, 489 S.W.3d 262, 273 (Mo.
banc 2016) (quotation omitted). Conversely, when the law does not impose a heavy
burden on the right to vote, it is subject to the less stringent rational basis review.
Weinschenk, 203 S.W.3d at 215-16.
This Court need not evaluate the extent of the burden imposed by the affidavit
requirement because the requirement does not satisfy even rational basis review. The
State asserts the affidavit requirement combats voter fraud through “verify[ing] a voter’s
identity and eligibility to vote.” Such an interest is legitimate – and even compelling.
Weinschenk, 203 S.W.3d at 217. But to satisfy the lowest level of scrutiny, rational basis
review, the affidavit requirement must be rationally related to this interest. Id. at 215-16.
In other words, the requirement must be “a reasonable way of accomplishing this goal.”
Peters, 489 S.W.3d at 273 (quotations omitted).
The affidavit requirement is set out in sections 115.427.2(1) and 115.427.3.
Subsection 2(1) provides that an individual who appears at a polling place without an
approved form of photo identification under option one 4 but who is “otherwise qualified
to vote” may cast a regular ballot provided the individual presents an approved form of
non-photo identification as specified under option two in section 115.427.2(1) 5 and
4
The following are approved forms of photo identification under option one: a Missouri driver’s
license, a Missouri nondriver’s license, and other qualifying state or federal photo identification.
Section 115.427.1.
5
The following are approved forms of identification under option two:
(a) Identification issued by the state of Missouri, an agency of the state, or a local
election authority of the state;
6
executes an affidavit that meets certain requirements. Subsection 3 then provides that the
affidavit must be “substantially in the following form”:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that my name is ...............; that I reside at
..........................................; that I am the person listed in the precinct register
under this name and at this address; and that, under penalty of perjury, I do
not possess a form of personal identification approved for voting. As a person
who does not possess a form of personal identification approved for voting,
I acknowledge that I am eligible to receive free of charge a Missouri
nondriver’s license at any fee office if desiring it in order to vote. I
furthermore acknowledge that I am required to present a form of personal
identification, as prescribed by law, in order to vote.
I understand that knowingly providing false information is a violation of law
and subjects me to possible criminal prosecution.
Section 115.427.3 (emphasis added). Although this language is consistent with the
requirements listed in subsection 2, subsection 2 also requires that individuals must aver
they do not possess a form of identification approved under option one and must further
acknowledge that they are required to present a form of identification approved under
option one to vote. Section 115.427.2(1).
The affidavit requirement in sections 115.427.2(1) and 115.427.3 is contradictory
and misleading for several reasons. The affidavit language in subsection 3 requires
(b) Identification issued by the United States government or agency thereof;
(c) Identification issued by an institution of higher education, including a
university, college, vocational and technical school, located within the state of
Missouri;
(d) A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck,
or other government document that contains the name and address of the individual;
(e) Other identification approved by the secretary of state under rules promulgated
pursuant to this section.
Section 115.427.2(1).
7
individuals who vote under option two to aver that they “do not possess a form of
personal identification approved for voting.” Section 115.427.3. If “form of personal
identification” means any identification, photo or non-photo, approved under section
115.427, then the affidavit is misleading because individuals voting under option two are
required to swear under oath that they do not possess such identification but then must
present non-photo identification approved under option two. Section 115.427.3. But if,
consistent with the affidavit requirements in subsection 2(1), 6 the phrase “form of
personal identification” means only photo identification approved under option one, then
the later sentence in the affidavit that provides individuals must acknowledge they are
“required to present a form of personal identification, as prescribed by law, in order to
vote,” see section 115.427.3, is contradictory because individuals can vote by presenting
non-photo identification as described in option two. See section 115.427.2(1). For this
reason, the language of subsection 2, which provides that individuals signing the affidavit
must acknowledge they are “required to present a form of personal identification, as
described in subsection 1 of this section, in order to vote,” is inaccurate. See section
115.427.2(1). 7 Under either interpretation, an individual voting under option two is
6
See section 115.427.2(1) (providing that an individual must sign an affidavit “averring that the
individual does not possess a form of personal identification described in subsection 1 of this
section”).
7
The State asserts this statement is accurate because the term “required” as used in section
115.427 does not mean “an if-and-only-if condition.” “Absent express definition, statutory
language is given its plain and ordinary meaning, as typically found in the dictionary.”
Dickemann v. Costco Wholesale Corp., 550 S.W.3d 65, 68 (Mo. banc 2018). “Require” is
defined as “to ask for authoritatively or imperatively: claim by right or authority: insist upon usu.
with certainty or urgency: DEMAND, EXACT.” Webster’s Third New International Dictionary
1929 (3d ed. 2002). Accordingly, contrary to the State’s argument, “required” does not
contemplate an optional condition.
8
required to sign an ambiguous, contradictory statement under oath and subject to the
penalty of perjury.
The testimony of several witnesses highlighted the confusion that resulted from
the affidavit’s contradiction. Gutierrez, who voted in November 2017 after signing the
affidavit and presenting her social security card, voter identification card, and birth
certificate, testified she found the affidavit’s language concerning. By signing the
affidavit, Gutierrez swore under penalty of perjury that she did not possess a form of
personal identification approved for voting when, in reality, she “had all kinds of forms
of identification.” The affidavit led her to believe that she needed photo identification to
vote in future elections. 8 Similarly, Patrick, 9 who voted in the November 2017 election
by presenting their voter identification card and signing the affidavit, testified the
language of the affidavit was confusing and ambiguous because it required them to state
they do not possess personal identification when they, in fact, did have their voter
identification card. 10 Both Gutierrez and Patrick testified they would not sign the
affidavit to vote in a future election.
8
In fact, after voting in the November 2017 election, Gutierrez spent more than an hour waiting
in line at the department of motor vehicles and paid $11 to obtain a nondriver’s license photo
identification solely so she would be able to vote in future elections.
9
Patrick is a transgender individual who prefers the pronoun “they” and its derivatives as
opposed to “he” or “she.”
10
The meaning of the term “possess” as used in the affidavit is ambiguous. According to the
secretary’s director of elections, the term means the individual physically possesses identification
at the polling place. But this definition cannot apply to the term’s use in the next sentence,
which seems to refer more broadly to constructive possession. See section 115.427.3 (“As a
person who does not possess a form of personal identification approved for voting, I
acknowledge that I am eligible to receive free of charge a Missouri nondriver’s license at any fee
office if desiring it in order to vote.”).
9
The record further indicates that election officials did not understand the affidavit
requirement. For example, Gutierrez was informed by an election official that she would
need to obtain photo identification to vote in the next election, and one of Respondents’
witnesses, David King, was told he could not vote despite presenting his voter
registration card – an acceptable form of non-photo identification under option two.
Section 115.427.2(1).
Although the State has an interest in combatting voter fraud, requiring
individuals voting under option two to sign a contradictory, misleading affidavit is not a
reasonable means to accomplish that goal. See Ambers-Phillips v. SSM DePaul Health
Ctr., 459 S.W.3d 901, 912 (Mo. banc 2015) (noting a statute fails rational basis review if
it “rests on grounds wholly irrelevant to the achievement of the state’s objective”). For
this reason, the affidavit requirement of sections 115.427.2(1) and 115.427.3 does not
pass muster under any level of scrutiny. Accordingly, the circuit court’s judgment
declaring the affidavit requirement unconstitutional is affirmed.
B. The Remedy
After declaring the affidavit requirement unconstitutional, the circuit court
enjoined the State from requiring voters who cast a ballot under option two to execute the
affidavit. The State argues the circuit court erred in severing the affidavit requirement in
its entirety. According to the State, two alternative, narrower remedies existed. First, the
State argues the circuit court should have allowed the secretary of state to rewrite the
affidavit language. In the alternative, the State argues the circuit court should have
10
severed only the parts of the affidavit requirement the circuit court found
unconstitutional.
1. Revision by the Secretary of State
Section 115.427.3 provides that the affidavit’s language must be substantially in
the form provided by the statute, implying the form in section 115.427.3 need not be
followed exactly. The State argues the circuit court should have allowed the secretary of
state to modify the affidavit’s language to address the circuit court’s constitutional
concerns. 11
This proposed remedy falls short of rectifying the affidavit requirement’s
constitutional flaw. Although the affidavit need only be substantially in the following
form provided in section 115.427.3, any modification must be consistent with the
affidavit requirements in section 115.427.2(1), which the secretary of state has no
11
The State proposes the affidavit’s language could have been modified as follows:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that my name is ...............; that I reside at
..........................................; that I am the person listed in the precinct register under
this name and at this address; and that, under penalty of perjury, I appeared at a
polling place without a form of personal identification described in section
115.427.1, RSMo do not possess a form of personal identification approved for
voting. As a person who appeared at a polling place without a form of personal
identification described in section 115.427.1, RSMo does not possess a form of
personal identification approved for voting, I acknowledge that any otherwise
qualified voter who does not already possess such identification may I am eligible
to receive free of charge a Missouri nondriver’s license at any fee office if desiring
it in order to vote. I furthermore acknowledge that I am required to present a form
of personal identification listed in section 115.427.1, RSMo to satisfy the
requirements of section 115.427.1, RSMo, as prescribed by law, in order to vote. I
understand that knowingly providing false information is a violation of law and
subjects me to possible criminal prosecution.
Section 115.427.3 (the State’s suggested additions underlined and deletions struck through).
11
authority to alter. Pursuant to section 115.427.2(1), the affidavit must include language
“acknowledging that the individual is required to present a form of personal
identification, as described in subsection 1 of this section, in order to vote.” As
emphasized above, such a statement is misleading, as option one photo identification is
not required to vote. Accordingly, because any modification by the secretary of state
must follow the requirements in section 115.427.2(1) and include this misleading
statement, allowing the secretary of state to rewrite the affidavit’s language is not an
adequate remedy. 12
2. The Affidavit’s Severability
In the alternative, the State asserts the circuit court should not have enjoined the
affidavit requirement entirely but instead should have severed only the portions of the
text it found unconstitutional. While “[t]he provisions of every statute are severable,”
when a portion of a statute is found unconstitutional, the remaining provisions will not be
upheld if they are “so essentially and inseparably connected with, and so dependent upon,
the void provision that it cannot be presumed the legislature would have enacted the valid
provisions without the void one.” Section 1.140; see also Weinschenk, 203 S.W.3d at
219. This Court employs a two-part test to determine whether valid parts of a statute can
be upheld despite the statute’s unconstitutional parts. Dodson v. Ferrara, 491 S.W.3d
12
For the first time in its reply brief, the State asserts the circuit court should have severed the
unconstitutional language in section 115.427.2(1) and then directed the secretary of state to draft
a new version of the affidavit. But this Court generally will not address assertions made for the
first time in reply briefs “because a respondent has no opportunity to address the argument.”
Berry v. State, 908 S.W.2d 682, 684 (Mo. banc 1995).
12
542, 558 (Mo. banc 2016). First, this Court considers whether, “after separating the
invalid portions, the remaining portions are in all respects complete and susceptible of
constitutional enforcement.” Id. Then, this Court considers whether “the remaining
statute is one that the legislature would have enacted if it had known that the rescinded
portion was invalid.” Id.
As established above, the phrase “form of personal identification” as used in
sections 115.427.2(1) and 115.427.3 is misleading and contradictory. For this reason, the
portion of the affidavit requiring individuals to aver they “do not possess a form of
personal identification approved for voting” and the portion of the affidavit requiring
individuals to acknowledge they are “required to present a form of personal
identification, as prescribed by law, in order to vote” as well as the corresponding
language in section 115.427.2(1) are unconstitutional. Under either interpretation of the
meaning of “form of personal identification,” an individual voting under option two is
required to sign an ambiguous, contradictory statement under oath and subject to the
penalty of perjury.
After this language is severed, the affidavit language in section 115.427.3 reads, in
pertinent part:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that my name is ...............; that I reside at
..........................................; that I am the person listed in the precinct register
under this name and at this address; and that, under penalty of perjury, I do
not possess a form of personal identification approved for voting. As a person
who does not possess a form of personal identification approved for voting,
I acknowledge that I am eligible to receive free of charge a Missouri
nondriver’s license at any fee office if desiring it in order to vote. I
furthermore acknowledge that I am required to present a form of personal
identification, as prescribed by law, in order to vote.
13
I understand that knowingly providing false information is a violation of law
and subjects me to possible criminal prosecution.
(Severed language struck through). 13 The portion of the affidavit language providing, “I
acknowledge that I am eligible to receive free of charge a Missouri nondriver’s license at
any fee office if desiring it in order to vote,” as well as its corresponding clause in
subsection 2(1), would also need to be severed to avoid a misstatement of the law, as the
secretary of state’s witness testified that not everyone is eligible for a free nondriver’s
license.
While removing this language eliminates any constitutional concerns, requiring
individuals to sign this modified version of the affidavit would be futile, as all voters are
required to sign a precinct register establishing the voter’s identity and qualification to
vote. See section 115.427.8 (“I hereby certify that I am qualified to vote at this election
by signing my name and verifying my address by signing my initials next to my
address.”). The precinct register further provides notice that “[i]t is against the law for
13
Similarly, the affidavit requirements in section 115.427.2(1) would read:
An individual who appears at a polling place without a form of personal
identification described in subsection 1 of this section and who is otherwise
qualified to vote at that polling place may execute a statement, under penalty of
perjury, averring that the individual is the person listed in the precinct register;
averring that the individual does not possess a form of personal identification
described in subsection 1 of this section; acknowledging that the individual is
eligible to receive a Missouri nondriver’s license free of charge if desiring it in
order to vote; and acknowledging that the individual is required to present a form
of personal identification, as described in subsection 1of this section, in order to
vote.
(Severed language struck through).
14
anyone to vote, or attempt to vote, without having a lawful right to vote.” Id. Because
the modified version of the affidavit would essentially replicate the information in the
precinct register that every voter must sign, the legislature would not have enacted the
modified affidavit. See Akin v. Dir. of Revenue, 934 S.W.2d 295, 300 (Mo. banc 1996)
(emphasizing that in applying the severability doctrine, it is presumed that the legislature
would not enact a statute with a meaningless sentence). 14
Although the dissenting opinion does not reject this Court’s holding that the
affidavit requirement of sections 115.427.2(1) and 115.427.3 is misleading,
contradictory, and unconstitutional, the dissenting opinion disagrees with this Court’s
decision to affirm the circuit court’s severance of the affidavit requirement. The
dissenting opinion presents two alternative remedies it believes should have been adopted
instead. For the reasons below, both remedies are nonsensical.
First, the dissenting opinion suggests the circuit court should have severed section
115.427.2 in its entirety, rather than severing only the affidavit requirement language.
Slip op. at 4. As the dissenting opinion notes, if option two – the non-photo identification
option – is severed, two options for voting remain, option one and option three. See
sections 115.427.1; 115.427.4. Under option one, an individual cannot vote without
showing a government-issued photo identification. Section 115.427.1. Under option
14
After the affidavit requirement language is severed, section 115.427.2(1) provides: “An
individual who appears at a polling place without a form of personal identification described in
subsection 1 of this section and who is otherwise qualified to vote at that polling place may cast a
regular ballot, provided such individual presents one of the following forms of
identification . . . .”
15
three, an individual’s vote will not be counted unless (1) the voter returns to the polling
place during the polling hours and provides an approved form of photo identification
under option one, or (2) the election authority compares the individual’s signature with
the signature on the election authority’s file and confirms the individual is eligible to vote
at that particular polling place. Section 115.427.4. The record reflects the signature-
matching process could result in an over-rejection of legitimate signatures, as there is no
training or uniform standards election officials follow. 15 So, regardless of whether
individuals vote pursuant to option one or option three, to ensure their votes are counted,
individuals must show photo identification. Sections 115.427.1; 115.427.4(1)(a).
In effect, the dissenting opinion’s proposal to sever option two in its entirety
would result in individuals having to present government-issued photo identification to
ensure their votes are counted. In Weinschenk, this Court made clear that requiring
individuals to present photo identification to vote is unconstitutional. 203 S.W.3d at 219.
Weinschenk emphasized that some individuals, due to their personal circumstances,
experience hurdles when attempting to obtain photo identification, id. at 215, a concern
that remains relevant in the instant case. 16 Obtaining photo identification requires
15
As Respondents’ forensic document examiner expert, Dr. Linton Mohammed, explained, a
number of factors, such as age and illness, can impact an individual’s signature. Indeed,
Gutierrez testified that, due to a health condition that causes tremors, her signature can differ
significantly from one day to the next, and “there is no way that an ordinary person could look at
that and match it.”
16
The dissenting opinion attempts to distinguish section 115.427 from the unconstitutional
statute in Weinschenk, suggesting section 115.427 would be constitutional after severing section
115.427.2 in its entirety because section 115.427.6(1) provides that an individual can receive a
photo identification free of charge. Slip op. at 6. This is not a sufficient distinction for two
reasons. First, the dissenting opinion disregards that, in holding the statute unconstitutional, the
Court in Weinschenk emphasized not only the cost of photo identification but also the potential
16
appropriate documentation, time, and the ability to navigate bureaucracies. 17 Id. “Those
things that require substantial planning in advance of an election to preserve the right to
vote can tend to ‘eliminate from the franchise a substantial number of voters who did not
plan so far ahead.’” Id. (quoting Harman v. Forssenius, 380 U.S. 528, 539-40 (1965)).
For these reasons, the dissenting opinion’s first proposed remedy poses constitutional
concerns and could not have been adopted by this Court. 18
difficulties individuals experience when attempting to obtain photo identification. Weinschenk,
203 S.W.3d at 213-15. Second, despite the dissenting opinion’s assertion, photo identification
obtained for the purpose of voting is not always free of charge under section 115.427. The
record reflects that some individuals attempting to obtain photo identification, including
Gutierrez, were required to pay a fee. Further, pursuant to section 115.427.6(1), each individual
is afforded only one free photo identification. As a result, with the exception of individuals older
than 70 whose photo identifications do not expire, prospective voters, in future elections, will be
required to pay a fee to obtain photo identification.
17
For example, Patrick testified that they do not have appropriate documentation to obtain a birth
certificate or nondriver’s license that reflects their correct gender. The record reflects that to
obtain photo identification, Patrick would be required to obtain a court order or affidavit from a
health care practitioner indicating they underwent gender transformation surgery. For others,
difficulties such as lack of transportation or time could prevent access to photo identification.
“[M]any voters who are elderly, disabled, or have certain physical or mental problems simply
cannot navigate that process or any long waits successfully.” Weinschenk, 203 S.W.3d at 215
(quoting Common Cause/Ga. League of Women Voters of Ga., Inc. v. Billlups, 439 F. Supp. 2d
1294, 1347 (N.D. Ga. 2006)).
18
The dissenting opinion’s reliance on Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, 553 U.S.
181 (2008), and Lee v. Virginia State Board of Elections, 843 F.3d 592 (4th Cir. 2016), is
misplaced. Slip op. at 4-5. These cases are not binding on this Court, as the plaintiffs in both of
these cases challenged state voter identification laws in federal court under the federal
constitution, while Respondents in the instant case assert challenges in state court under the
Missouri constitution. Both the right to vote and right to equal protection under the Missouri
constitution are “even more extensive than those provided by the federal constitution.”
Weinschenk, 203 S.W.3d at 204. Further, both Crawford and Lee can be distinguished on their
facts. In both of those cases the record failed to demonstrate the voter identification law
burdened voters. Crawford, 553 U.S. at 189; Lee, 843 F.3d at 606. Specifically, Crawford
emphasized the record failed to demonstrate that voters experienced difficulties obtaining photo
identification. Crawford, 553 U.S. at 201. Similarly, Lee emphasized the statute at issue
imposed an even lighter burden than the statute in Crawford, as the voters were not required to
present any documentation to obtain free photo identification. 843 F.3d at 606. Unlike in
Crawford and Lee, Respondents in the instant case have demonstrated that requiring photo
17
Second, the dissenting opinion proposes the circuit court could have severed only
the contradictory affidavit language “but maintain[ed] the affidavit requirement for non-
photo identification voting.” Slip op. at 6. Notably, the dissenting opinion is not specific
regarding which part of the affidavit’s language it would have severed. Regardless, as
made clear above, after the unconstitutional provisions are severed, the modified version
of the affidavit would essentially replicate the information in the precinct register that
every voter must sign. Accordingly, the legislature would not have enacted the modified
affidavit. See Akin, 934 S.W.2d at 300.
For these reasons, the dissenting opinion’s proposed remedies are nonsensical, and
the circuit court did not err in enjoining the affidavit requirement in its entirety.
II. The Secretary of State’s Materials
The circuit court also enjoined the State from disseminating “materials with the
graphic that voters will be asked to show a photo identification card without specifying
other forms of identification which voters may also show.” The State argues the circuit
court erred in enjoining the secretary of state from disseminating such materials because
these materials accurately reflect section 115.427’s requirements.
Section 115.427.5 assigns the secretary of state the duty to notify the public of the
personal identification requirements of section 115.427. Section 115.427.5 provides:
The secretary of state shall provide advance notice of the personal
identification requirements of subsection 1 of this section in a manner
calculated to inform the public generally of the requirement for forms of
identification burdens their right to vote. The record includes ample evidence of the difficulties
individuals like Gutierrez and Patrick have faced or could potentially face in the future if photo
identification were required for their votes to be counted.
18
personal identification as provided in this section. Such advance notice shall
include, at a minimum, the use of advertisements and public service
announcements in print, broadcast television, radio, and cable television
media, as well as the posting of information on the opening pages of the
official state internet websites of the secretary of state and governor.
The advertisement promulgated by the secretary of state that the circuit court found
problematic provided:
Voters: Missouri’s new Voter ID law is now in effect. When you vote, you
will be asked for a photo ID. A Missouri driver or nondriver license works
but there are other options, too. If you don’t have a photo ID to vote, call
866-868-3245 and we can help.
As the circuit court determined, materials like this advertisement mislead individuals into
believing photo identification is required to vote. This finding is supported by the record,
as Respondents’ political science expert, Dr. Kenneth Mayer, testified that materials that
are incomplete and fail to describe all of the forms of identification permitted by section
115.427 cause voter confusion and decrease voter turnout.
The State asserts the advertisement is an accurate statement of section 115.427
because when individuals vote they are asked to show photo identification. But no part
of section 115.427 mandates that election officials ask individuals for photo
identification. Indeed, at trial the State asserted that while election officials may request
photo identification, they are not required to, as “all [three] methods of voting are equally
valid.” The advertisement misleads individuals into believing photo identification is
required to vote, which is an inaccurate characterization of section 115.427. 19
19
The dissenting opinion asserts the advertisement is not misleading because it “clearly indicates
that a voter has other options” besides voting with photo identification. Slip op. at 8. But the
secretary’s use of the phrase “other options” in the advertisement is not a reference to alternative
19
After finding the advertisement misleading, the circuit court had discretion to
“shape and fashion relief to fit the particular facts, circumstances and equities of the case
before it.” State ex rel. Ideker, Inc. v. Grate, 437 S.W.3d 279, 287 (Mo. App. 2014). The
injunction was limited in scope, as it enjoined the State from disseminating only those
“materials with the graphic that voters will be asked to show a photo identification card
without specifying other forms of identification which voters may also show.” The
decision to enjoin these materials is well-supported in the record. The circuit court did
not abuse its discretion in enjoining the secretary of state from disseminating materials
that provide a misleading description of section 115.427’s requirements.
ways to vote without presenting photo identification. Rather, when read in the context of the
entire advertisement, “other options” refers to alternative forms of photo identification – other
than a Missouri driver’s license or nondriver’s license – that an individual can present to vote.
Even at best, the meaning of “other options” in the advertisement is unclear; this phrase does not
rectify the advertisement’s misleading description of section 115.427.
20
Conclusion
Because the affidavit requirement of sections 115.427.2(1) and 115.427.3 is
misleading and contradictory, the circuit court’s judgment declaring the affidavit
requirement unconstitutional is affirmed. Further, the circuit court did not err in
enjoining the State from requiring individuals who vote under the non-photo
identification option provided in section 115.427.2(1) to execute the affidavit or in
enjoining it from disseminating materials indicating photo identification is required to
vote. The circuit court’s judgment is affirmed.
______________________________
Mary R. Russell, Judge
Draper, C.J., Wilson, Breckenridge and
Stith, JJ., concur; Powell, J., dissents in separate
opinion filed; Fischer, J., concurs in opinion of
Powell, J.
21
SUPREME COURT OF MISSOURI
en banc
PRIORITIES USA, et al., )
)
Respondents, )
)
v. ) No. SC97470
)
STATE OF MISSOURI, et al., )
)
Appellants. )
DISSENTING OPINION
I respectfully dissent. If the affidavit requirement set forth in section 155.427 1 is
ambiguous, contradictory, and unconstitutional as the principal opinion proclaims, the
opinion errs in severing the entire affidavit requirement without also severing the
non-photo identification option set out in section 115.427.2 in its entirety. Because the
legislature would not have enacted the non-photo identification option without an
accompanying affidavit requirement, the principal opinion’s remedy is contrary to law.
Under Dodson v. Ferrara, the valid parts of a statute can be upheld if the remaining
portions of the statute are complete and susceptible of constitutional enforcement, and the
1
All statutory references are to RSMo 2016, unless otherwise specified.
legislature would have enacted the statute without the rescinded unconstitutional portion.
491 S.W.3d 542, 558 (Mo. banc 2016). Here, the legislature sought to encourage citizens
to vote with a valid photo identification when it enacted section 115.427. Section 115.427,
however, authorizes other voting identification methods and allows voting without photo
identification as long as the voter signs an affidavit affirming voter identity and eligibility.
According to the principal opinion, portions of this affidavit are ambiguous and
contradictory and, thereby, unconstitutional. The principal opinion then finds the only way
to cure this constitutional problem is to sever the entire affidavit requirement from the
statute. But this holding fails to follow the dictates of Dodson.
Under a proper Dodson analysis, this Court must ask whether the legislature would
have allowed the option to vote with non-photo identification without the affidavit
requirement. Reading section 115.427, it is clear the statute has several objectives. First,
it aims to promote secure elections and quick voter identification by requiring photo
identification. Second, it aims to further safeguard election security by requiring voters
without a compliant identification to swear to their identities and voting eligibility. Finally,
it aims to promote photo identification voting by informing non-photo identification voters
of eligibility for a free Missouri nondriver license, further facilitating secure and quick
elections in the future. The principal opinion’s complete elimination of the affidavit
requirement eviscerates these goals.
In interpreting statutes, “[o]ur polestar is the intent of the legislature.” Centerre
Bank of Crane v. Dir. of Revenue, 744 S.W.2d 754, 759 (Mo. banc 1988). The inclusion
of an affidavit requirement is the only difference between sections 115.427.1, the photo
2
identification option, and 115.427.2, the non-photo identification option. The legislature
clearly intended to distinguish between these separate voting options. The principal
opinion does away with this distinction. Section 115.427 uses mandatory language,
allowing an exception to photo identification voting only if the voter executes an affidavit
or casts a provisional ballot. Despite this mandatory language, the statute as modified by
the principal opinion no longer treats photo identification voting any differently than
non-photo identification voting. Instead, what remains is a statute that says people
“seeking to vote in a public election shall establish their identity and eligibility to vote” by
presenting one of the enumerated forms of photo identification to establish eligibility to
vote, § 115.427.1 (emphasis added), but then proceeds to allow other forms of
identification such as a utility bill under 115.427.2 with no qualification. The legislature’s
use of “shall” in section 115.427.1 indicates it would not have allowed non-photo
identification voting under section 115.427.2 without the affidavit requirement.
Furthermore, as the principal opinion points out, it is presumed that the legislature
would not enact a meaningless statute. See Akin v. Dir. of Revenue, 934 S.W.2d 295, 300
(Mo. banc 1996). Without the affidavit requirement, the statute makes no meaningful
3
change to Missouri’s voter identification procedures. 2 It is clear, therefore, the legislature
would not have enacted section 115.427.2 and allowed Missouri voters to vote with a
non-photo identification without the affidavit requirement.
A more appropriate remedy to the constitutional issue identified in the principal
opinion would be to sever the entirety of section 115.427.2, disallowing the use of
non-photo identification and leaving voters with two options: photo identification or a
provisional ballot. This solution achieves the legislative goal of encouraging voting with
a compliant photo identification or the alternative of casting a provisional ballot. Such a
solution would likely pass constitutional muster.
In Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, 553 U.S. 181, 185-86 (2008), the
United States Supreme Court upheld an Indiana voter identification statute that proscribed,
in relevant part: (1) Citizens voting in person on election day must show photo
identification issued by the government; (2) Indigent voters or voters with a religious
objection to being photographed could cast a provisional ballot that would be counted only
2
Prior to the 2016 amendment, there were five forms of identification accepted at the
polls: (1) identification issued by the State of Missouri, an agency of the state, or a local
election authority; (2) identification issued by the federal government or an agency thereof;
(3) identification issued by a Missouri institution (public or private) of higher education,
including a university, college, vocational, or technical school; (4) a copy of a current
utility bill, bank statement, paycheck government check, or other government document
that contains the name and address of the voter; or (5) a driver’s license or state
identification card issued by another state. § 115.427.1, RSMo Supp. 2002 (controlling in
2015 due to Weinschenk v. State, 203 S.W.3d 201 (Mo. banc 2006), enjoining enforcement
of the 2006 amended statute); see also Acceptable IDs to Vote, MO. SECRETARY ST.,
https://web.archive.org/web/20150316015603/https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVote
Missouri/howtovote.aspx/ (last visited Dec. 16, 2019).
4
if they execute an affidavit 3 within 10 days after the election; (3) A voter who has a photo
identification but could not present it on election day could file a provisional ballot that
would be counted if he or she present’s his or her identification within 10 days; (4) No
identification is required to register to vote; and (5) Any qualified voters able to establish
their residence and identity are eligible to receive a free photo identification from the state.
The Court concluded the burdens imposed by the statute on eligible voters without a current
photo identification to travel to Indiana’s bureau of motor vehicles and obtain a free
identification are not substantial enough to justify striking down the statute, and the
burdens imposed on eligible voters who may not be able to obtain the free identification
because of difficulty obtaining a birth certificate, religious objections to being
photographed, or homelessness were mitigated by the statute’s provisional ballot
allowance. Id. at 199. The provisional ballot allowance set forth in section 115.427.4,
therefore, would likely satisfy any constitutional concerns related to the severance of the
entirety of section 115.427.2. 4
3
“The affidavit must state that (1) the person executing the affidavit is the same individual
who cast the provisional ballot; and (2) the affiant is indigent and unable to obtain proof of
identification without paying a fee or has a religious objection to being photographed.”
Crawford, 553 U.S. at 186 n.2.
4
Another voter photo identification law has been upheld in federal court due to the
allowance of a provisional ballot without a photo identification. In Lee v. Virginia State
Board of Election 843 F.3d 592 (4th Cir. 2016), Virginia’s law requiring all voters to
present a photo identification to cast a ballot in all elections was upheld. Under the law,
voters without photo identification may cast a provisional ballot that will be counted if the
voter presents a photo identification within three days of the election. Id. at 599. The
Fourth Circuit did not find an undue burden on minority voting nor evidence suggesting
discriminatory intent and upheld the law against allegations of Voting Rights Act violations
and First Amendment, Equal Protection, Fifteenth Amendment, and Twenty-Sixth
Amendment violations. Id. at 607-08.
5
Likewise, in Missouri, this Court addressed the constitutionality of a photo voter
identification statute in Weinschenk v. State, 203 S.W.3d 201 (Mo. banc 2006). The
constitutional issue in Weinschenk was the absence of options for eligible registered voters
without the requisite photo identification, especially given the fact that those voters would
have to “expend money to gather the necessary documentation to obtain it in order to
exercise their right to vote.” Id. at 213. Here, if this Court were to sever sections 115.427.2
and 115.427.3, any voter without photo identification as required by section 115.427.1
would still be allowed to cast a provisional ballot and, should a voter wish to obtain a
compliant photo identification, the voter could receive compliant identification at no cost
with the assistance of the state. Therefore, striking the entirety of sections 115.427.2 and
115.427.3 would leave a voter identification law that meets legislative intent, passes the
Dodson test, and passes constitutional mandates.
A more restrained, but acceptable, remedy would be to sever only the contradictory
affidavit language but maintain the affidavit requirement for non-photo identification
voting. Rescinding this language from the affidavit would leave an affirmation of identity
and voter eligibility and an acknowledgment of eligibility for a free photo identification in
the affidavit. This solution achieves the legislative goal of promoting voting by photo
identification while giving eligible registered voters other options to exercise their
constitutional right to vote without imposing more than a de minimis burden on their
suffrage. Keeping this version of the affidavit requirement would also maintain the
legislature’s distinction between photo identification and non-photo identification voting.
This more surgical approach maintains fidelity to the legislative intent of requiring photo
6
identification while giving eligible registered voters other options to exercise their right to
vote if they cannot meet the photo identification requirement and ensures election security.
Instead of taking either of these alternatives, the principal opinion’s complete
removal of the affidavit requirement from non-photo identification voting eliminates the
intended distinction between voter identification options and prevents the legislation from
having any effect on voting identification procedures. Surely the legislature would not
have passed a new law that has no effect; Akin requires this Court to make such a
presumption. 5
5
To ensure its legislation has its desired effect, the General Assembly may take further
action to promote secure and quick elections in response to the principal opinion. Veasy v.
Abbott, 888 F.3d 792 (5th Cir. 2018), provides an example of the state legislature curing
constitutional defects in a voter identification law through additional legislation. In 2011,
Texas enacted a law requiring voters to present one of five forms of government-issued
identification to vote. Id. at 796. The law was challenged, and the state was enjoined from
enforcing the voter identification provisions because of an unlawful disparate impact on
minority voters and discriminatory purpose in enactment. Id. The Fifth Circuit affirmed
the disparate impact finding but reversed the discriminatory purpose finding. Id. (citing
Veasey v. Abbott, 830 F.3d 216 (5th Cir. 2016) (en banc)).
Later, the Texas legislature enacted amendments to the law expanding the list of
acceptable identification and required implementation of mobile locations for obtaining
election identification certificates. Id. at 797. Texas sought reconsideration in light of the
amendments, and, while the district court enjoined enforcement of the amendments, the
Fifth Circuit reversed. Id. The Fifth Circuit held that, because the amended voter
identification law “constitutes an effective remedy for the only deficiencies testified to in
[the previous law], . . . the State has acted promptly following this court’s mandate, and
there is no equitable basis for subjecting Texas to ongoing federal election scrutiny[.]” Id.
at 804. Veasy illustrates how frustrating the intent of voter identification legislation by
unnecessarily severing the entire affidavit requirement in section 115.427.3 may ultimately
encourage future legislative action resulting in more restrictive, but constitutional, voter
identification laws. A more finely honed remedy in this case would immediately serve
legislative intent without further action by the General Assembly.
7
Separate from the voting identification procedure, the secretary of state’s
advertising materials to disseminate information about the new voter identification
requirements should not be enjoined. The legislature imposed a duty on the secretary of
state to provide notice to Missouri voters ahead of an election “of the personal
identification requirements of subsection one of this section.” § 115.427.5. Subsection 1
requires election officials to ask for certain types of photo identification at the polls. This
change in the law is accurately described by the advertising material that the circuit court
enjoined:
Voters: Missouri’s new Voter ID law is now in effect. When you vote, you will be
asked for a photo ID. A Missouri driver or nondriver license works but there are
other options, too. If you don’t have a photo ID to vote, call 866-868-3245 and we
can help.
(Emphasis added). While the circuit court found that the advertisement implies a photo
identification card is required for voting, the advertisement’s language clearly indicates
that a voter has other options. A plain reading of the advertisement accurately reflects the
law as provided in section 115.427. The language also includes notice that the state will
help individuals without photo identification and a resource for additional information.
This advertisement is not misleading and is a lawful execution of the secretary of state’s
statutory duty under section 115.427.5.
While the affidavit requirement of sections 115.427.2(1) and 115.427.3 may be
contradictory, the remedy offered by the principal opinion is improper. Furthermore, I
disagree that the secretary of state should be enjoined from disseminating educational
8
materials about the new voter identification law pursuant to 115.427.5. For these reasons,
I respectfully dissent.
___________________
W. Brent Powell, Judge
9