Parson urged to extend mail-in voting
By Jim Salter The Associated Press
O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) — Dozens of civil rights advocates, faith leaders and others on Friday urged Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to extend into next year a law allowing more people to cast their votes by mail to avoid the risk of contracting the coronavirus through in-person voting.
A letter signed by people representing nearly five dozen organizations asked the Republican governor to use his emergency authority to extend the law he signed in June.
The law set to expire on Dec. 31 allows those considered at high-risk of the virus – people age 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities and people with certain preexisting health conditions – to vote absentee without having their ballots notarized. Anyone else can cast a mail-in ballot but needs to get it notarized.