Missouri voters would be required to show photo identification before casting ballots under legislation endorsed by the Missouri House today.
The House gave first-round approval to two measures that would enact the requirement. One is a state constitutional amendment that would require a photo ID during elections. The other bill would actually implement this requirement.
One of the sponsors, Republican Representative Stanley Cox of Sedalia, said the measure would increase integrity of elections and protect against fraud. Democrats opposed the bill and argued it would disenfranchise voters without proper identification.
Missouri's Legislature has made multiple attempts to enact the requirement, but have been stopped by the courts and by Governor Jay Nixon.
The House measures need one more vote before moving to the Senate.