A Missouri judge on Friday denied a Republican committeeman’s effort to force the state’s third-largest county to allow watchers or challengers to observe early voting. The judge didn’t consider the merits of the committeeman's lawsuit but dismissed the challenge because it wasn't written meeting state legal standards.
First time voters Efton, left, and Eliza Owens, center, take a selfie with their mother Kourtney Owens outside the St. Charles County Election Authority as early voting continues on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024 in St. Peters, Mo. A line of early voters wraps around the election authority offices as St. Charles County Elections Director Kurt Bahr works in his office on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024 in St. Peters, Mo.
Judge Dewayne Johnson wrote that the document filed by St. Charles County Central Committeeman Travis Allen Heins “fails to satisfy the requirements” of a temporary restraining order. Johnson didn’t consider the merits of the case but dismissed the challenge because it wasn’t written meeting state legal standards.
“I’m not an attorney and never claimed to be,” Heins told The Associated Press. He called the ruling disappointing but said his request “opens the conversation” about the need to clarify the roles of watchers and challengers during the early voting period in Missouri.“Election challengers from both political parties will be present at several polling locations on election day as state law allows,” Bahr said in a statement.
This is the first presidential election with no-excuse absentee voting in Missouri, and turnout has been heavy at many places, including St. Charles County. Bahr expected 2,500 voters per day, but daily totals have often reached around 5,000. The county, in suburban St. Louis, has about 420,000 residents.Under Missouri law, each political party on the ballot can designate a challenger for every polling place on Election Day.
“When election authorities deny the presence of a Challenger or Watcher, the safety and transparency of the elections are compromised,” Heins wrote in his petition.Salter is responsible for covering news in Missouri, including death penalty coverage, politics and other key issues. He assists with coverage in six other states – Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.
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