Missouri Advisory Opinions October 08, 2021: 133-2021

Advisory Opinion Text

The Honorable John R. Ashcroft

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 October 1, 2021 for our review under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by David Roland, version 1, 2022-060. The proposed summary statement is as follows:

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:

• make general elections beginning in 2024 for statewide offices, Missouri General Assembly. United States Congress, elective county government offices, partisan circuit and associate circuit judges, partisan public offices within any political subdivision runoff elections;

• select the top four candidates for each office in the general election using ranked choice voting; and

• fill vacancies with special elections beginning August 2024 for: statewide offices, Missouri General Assembly, United States Congress, partisan circuit and associate circuit judges, partisan public offices within any political subdivision?

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,

ERIC S. SCHMITT Attorney General