Missouri Advisory Opinions April 24, 2023: 251-2023

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 April 13, 2023, for our review under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Frederic Steinbach, 2024-094. The proposed summary statement is as follows:

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:

• allow the Federal government to control how voter rolls are updated;

• direct voters to choose all candidates they like in each race for primary, special and general elections without assigning any order preference;

• require candidates with the highest number of votes to be declared the winner;

• guarantee all established political parties the right to have their designated nominees appear on the general election ballot; and

• require ballot titles proposed by the General Assembly, or through the citizen initiative or referendum to only include language found in the proposed measure?

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