Missouri law requiring photo ID to vote remains intact: 'Huge win for election security'
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said a state law requiring a photo ID to vote being upheld in court is a "huge win for election security."
"Missouri proved today how to handle radical activists that come into a state with secure elections and try to undermine them through the legal process," Bailey said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital.
Bailey added that this was a huge victory for the Show Me State.
"We went to court, we put on the evidence, and radical activists working to undermine our elections FAILED. This is a HUGE win for election security," Bailey said in a post on X.
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Elon Musk also shared his approval and praise for Missouri's court ruling.
"Congratulations AG Bailey! Now we need this nationwide," Musk wrote in a post on X.
The Missouri court’s decision to uphold the voter ID law came after heavy criticism from groups arguing that such requirements could disenfranchise voters.
However, Bailey’s office successfully presented evidence supporting the law’s necessity and effectiveness in maintaining the integrity of the voting process. The court’s ruling confirmed that the voter ID law does not impose a burden on voters.
Missouri also provides free non-driver's licenses for voting for those who do not already have a driver's license or have a current license. The health department's Bureau of Vital Records provides free birth certificates to those seeking their first non-driver's license in order to vote if the applicant does not have a current driver's license.
"There is not a severe burden on the right to vote as the State has gone to great lengths to help voters obtain IDs," Bailey wrote in a previous court brief.
In October 2022, Cole County Presiding Judge Jon Beetem had already rejected a lawsuit brought by the Missouri League of Women Voters, NAACP and two voters challenging a law passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature making it mandatory that voters show photo identification to cast a regular ballot. Under the 2022 law, people with a valid government-issued photo ID are still able to submit provisional ballots, which will be counted if they return later that day with a photo ID or if election officials verify their signatures.
Republicans said the goal of the 2022 law was to deter voter fraud, but the plaintiffs in the case argued the legislation placed unconstitutional hurdles on voting, suppressing turnout.
Before the 2022 midterm elections, it was acceptable for Missourians to present a voter registration card, a student identification card, a bank statement or utility bill or a valid driver's license to cast their ballots in the state.
The National Conference of State Legislatures reports that 36 states request or require identification to vote, of which at least 20 ask for a photo ID.
Other Republican-led states are moving in the same direction as Missouri, which could serve as the blueprint for national policy.
"I'm proud that Missouri will continue to lead the nation in defense of election security," Bailey said.
Critics argue that such requirements are an overreaction that could disenfranchise eligible voters.
Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace and the Associated Press contributed to this report.