Governor Jay Nixon has signed legislation that could give deployed military members and the disabled a chance to be listed first on a ballot if they run for office.
Missouri uses a random drawing to determine the ballot order for candidates who file in person on the first day of a filing period.
The legislation allows proxies to draw numbers for candidates who cannot be physically present because they are disabled or deployed on active military duty.
Nixon signed the bill Wednesday at the secretary of state's office, where candidates for state offices and Congress will line up next week to begin filing for the August primary election. The legislation takes effect immediately and is the first bill to become law this year.
