The Missouri legislature is considering a proposed constitutional amendment to preserve the ability of political parties to have nominees. HJR 131, if it passes, will then go on the November 2022 ballot. It would compete with an initiative that eliminates the ability of parties to have nominees, and instead provides for a unitary primary ballot in which the four top vote-getters are the only candidates who can appear on the November ballot.

Here is the text of HJR 131. It says, “The person receiving the greatest number of votes at a primary election as a party candidate for an office shall be the only candidate for that party for the office.”

The measure also outlaws ranked choice voting, by adding this sentence to the Constitution: “Voters shall only cast a single vote for each office or issue on which such voter is eligible to vote.”

It also has provisions providing that non-citizens may not register to vote, and provisions relating to vote-counting methods. The bill has already passed a House committee. The sponsors are Republican representatives Dan Shaul, John Simmons, and Brian Seitz.

The measure appears to have wording flaws. It clearly is not meant to apply to presidential primaries, so the text ought to say that it doesn’t apply to presidential primaries. Also the sponsors don’t seem to have realized that sometimes primary winners die before the general election. Current law lets parties substitute a new nominee, but the literal language of the bill would prevent such substitution. Thanks to Ken Bush for this news.