Missouri State Senator Sandy Crawford (R-Buffalo) has introduced SB 102. It would require initiative circulators to be registered voters in Missouri. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1999 in Buckley v American Constitutional Law Foundation that states cannot require circulators to be registered voters. Thanks to Ken Bush for the news about SB 102.
EACH STATE IS A NATION-STATE –
1776 DOI LAST PARA
1777 AC
1783 USA – BRIT PEACE TREATY
1787 USA CONST ART 1-10, 4, 7
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INTERNAL ELECTIONS VS OUTSIDE PERSONS
Maybe, in the same way that some states accept filing fees in lieu of signatures for candidates, proposers of initiative petitions could pay filing fees for their proposals, in lieu of petition signatures.
This decision needs to be revisited. Free speech is separate from election law. Yes you have rights to speak on any subject. However signature gathering is part of the election process. People out of state can’t just vote in another state and claim free speech. Regulating election laws does not take your free speech right away. So I think SCOTUS will have a different view than this wrong Buckley decision.
Reporting on elections and holding debates and managing campaigns and printing yard signs and bumper stickers and campaign literature is also part of the election process, as is GOTV (Get Out The Vote) canvassing. There is no requirement for anyone engaged in these activities to be registered voters in Missouri, so it is hypocritical and unconstitutional to place the requirement solely on petition circulators.
Andy, all these things you mentioned don’t put anything on a physical ballot. Being on a ballot is a tangible outcome of politicking. Those things you mentioned aren’t tangible outcomes. These states are tired of outside influences. If we are a republic and each state is supposed to be independent of each other internally and only cohesive in federal matters then it should be able exclude outsiders, carpetbaggers and scalawags.
No part of the election process should be allowed to be influenced by anyone from outside that precinct. Attempts to circumvent this law should be enforced with a summary execution on the spot on the discretion of responding officers.
Max you have lost your head.
I have advocated this consistently. My ideal system is not based on any country today or in the past. It is entirely future focused.