Missouri Advisory Opinions January 24, 2023: 29-2023

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 13, 2023 for our review under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Winston Apple, 2024-12. The proposed summary statement is as follows:

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:

• do away with party designation and primary elections for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer, state auditor, United States senator, United States representative, state senator, state representative, and circuit judge;

• make the general election a runoff between a minimum of five candidates for each office using ranked choice voting; and

• use a random selection algorithm prior to tabulation to resolve ties between candidates if one should occur?

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