Thursday, August 06, 2015

Ashcroft challenges Secretary of State rival to photo voter ID debate

(From Republican Secretary of State candidate Jay Ashcroft)

Secretary of State candidate Jay Ashcroft, R-St. Louis, today, challenged Democrat Secretary of State candidate Robin Smith to a debate on the merits of a constitutional amendment that Ashcroft has filed that would allow for the implementation of a photo voter ID law for Missouri.

“Missourians overwhelmingly believe that a photo voter ID law is a common sense way to protect the integrity of our votes from voter fraud,” Ashcroft said. “For 12 years, Missouri has had liberal Democrat Secretaries of State who have stood in the way of efforts to protect our elections. Robin Smith seems to be using the same tired rhetoric while trying to hide her position from voters. I challenge her to a public debate on the merits of a photo voter ID law to allow Missouri voters to make a decision about who is best equipped to protect the integrity of our elections.”

On the day of her announcement, Smith told the Associated Press that “the issue needs to be open for debate” and refused to take a firm position. In subsequent interviews, she has avoided taking a clear position on the issue.

“I agree with Robin Smith that this issue should be debated and that Missouri voters should have a say in the process,” Ashcroft continued. “But I am confident that they agree that a photo voter ID law is a common sense way to protect our elections. That is precisely why I filed an amendment to allow the voters to determine whether or not they believe that Missouri should implement a photo voter ID law to stop voter fraud.”

Ashcroft filed a constitutional amendment to allow for a photo voter ID law for Missouri in May. He has been touring Missouri in recent weeks promoting the measure and gathering signatures from supporters to place the measure on the ballot in 2016.

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