Voting in Missouri

The Senate candidate NPH publicly prayed for may be in for a tougher-than-expected election in November. For sure, incumbent Jim Talent is a tough adversary in any case, but the Republicans in the Missouri congress are about to make him even tougher.

The KC Star is today reporting that Republicans in the House are close to passing a bill that will both require photo-ID at the polls and repeal straight-ticket voting, the process whereby voters can vote for all the candidates in one party with a single punch.

Both those moves will create favorable conditions for an incumbent, and the photo ID part of it will make it especially difficult for the elderly, physically handicapped, and many minorities (the groups who most frequently are without photo ID) to legally vote.

Republicans claim that the measure will curb rampant voter fraud in Missouri. Whether or not voter fraud is "rampant" in Missouri is an open question, but the measure certainly will do something else: make people who could legally vote less likely to do so.

Low turnouts always favor incumbents.

Oooh, NPH is starting to get fiesty about this. Don't make me start campaigning!