A judge on Monday upheld a Missouri law mandating that voters show photo identification at the polls to cast a ballot.
Cole County Circuit Court Presiding Judge Jon Beetem ruled that multiple groups that alleged the state’s voter ID laws were unconstitutional “failed to prove their case.” Beetem said Missouri’s law was a “reasonable” deterrent for voter fraud and did not violate the rights of those who challenged the measure.
“Requiring photo identification at the polls is a reasonable way to deter potential voter impersonation,” the judge wrote. “It is not irrational or arbitrary for the State to enact laws that can deter voting fraud, such as voter impersonation.”
The law, signed in 2022 and in effect for the 2024 presidential election, was challenged by the NAACP, the League of Women Voters, and multiple Missouri residents who claimed it imposed a burden on their right to vote. They argued the law would prevent many eligible residents from voting.
Beetem…
