Missouri Advisory Opinions January 17, 2023: 13-2023

Advisory Opinion Text

Missouri Secretary of State James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center 600 West Main Street Jefferson City, MO 65101

Dear Secretary Ashcroft:

This opinion letter responds to your request dated January 6, 2023 for our review under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Winston Apple, 2024-008. The proposed summary statement is as follows:

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:

• change voting in general elections for the offices of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer, state auditor and United States senator, if more than two candidates appear on the ballot at either a primary or general election, to allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference for each office;

• eliminate the lowest ranked candidates and redistribute their votes based on number of votes and voters' rankings until a candidate receives at least 50% plus one vote to win; and

• resolve ties with random mathematical process?

Pursuant to § 116.334, RSMo, we approve the legal content and form of the proposed statement. Because our review of the statement is mandated by statute, no action that we take with respect to such review should be construed as an endorsement of the petition, nor as the expression of any view regarding the objectives of its proponents.

Very truly yours,

ANDREW BAILEY Attorney General