Tracking List: MAC 2026 - Elections

HB1871 - Rep. Peggy McGaugh (R) - Modifies provisions relating to elections

Summary:

SS SCS HCS HB 1871 -- ELECTIONS

This bill designates August 12th of each year as "Election Worker Appreciation Day" in Missouri (Section 9.515, RSMo).

The bill provides that a person who registers as a lobbyist will not be prohibited from maintaining a candidate committee seeking certain local offices, provided that the lobbyist is not registered to lobby the office that the candidate committee is designated to seek (Section 105.465).

The bill provides that, in the case of a bond election, if an election contest is not filed within 30 days after the official announcement of the election result, all conditions of state election law must be deemed to have been complied with in the issuance of the bond (Section 108.240).

This bill allows a notice of election to be sent by email (Section 115.125).

Current law requires notice of election to be published twice. The first notice of election must be published within two weeks prior to the election, and the second must be published within one week prior to the election. This bill requires both notices to be published within six weeks prior to the election.

Currently, jurisdictions with populations under a certain size and in which no newspaper meeting the legal requirements is published are permitted to send legal notice to voters via mail instead of publishing the notice in a newspaper. This bill allows any election authority the option to mail legal notice rather than publishing the notice in a newspaper. The mailing must occur within six weeks prior to the election. The election authority is permitted to exclude from the mailing any voter designated as inactive.

Currently, the filing time for declarations of candidacy for offices in political subdivisions or special districts not otherwise specified in law or charter is from the 17th Tuesday prior to the election through the 14th Tuesday prior to the election. This bill moves the filing time by one week, from the 16th Tuesday prior to the election to the 13th Tuesday prior to the election. The bill also provides that, if the 13th Tuesday prior to the election is a State or Federal holiday, the closing filing date will be the next day that is not a State or Federal holiday (Section 115.127). Currently, no person on probation or parole after conviction of a felony is entitled to vote until finally discharged from probation or parole. This bill specifies certain offenses for which this will be the case, allowing persons on probation or parole after conviction of felonies not listed in the bill to vote prior to being finally discharged from probation or parole (Section 115.133).

Currently, the election authority must have automatic tabulating equipment tested within 14 days prior to an election. This bill specifies that this test must occur no later than one week prior to an election (Section 115.233).

Currently, covered voters eligible to register to vote can vote in certain elections by submitting a Federal postcard application to apply to vote at their polling place. This bill changes this requirement from the polling place to the office of the election authority on election day.

Currently, interstate former residents and new residents can vote absentee for presidential and vice presidential electors. The bill allows them to vote for those electors at the office of the election authority on election day (Section 115.277).

This bill provides that all lists of absentee ballot applications for people with permanent disabilities will be kept confidential and must not be posted or displayed in an area open to the general public nor shown to any unauthorized person (Section 115.284).

The bill requires any person who files as a candidate for a public office that performs county functions in the City of St. Louis to provide copies of paid receipts or no-tax-due statements for local personal and real property taxes received from the Assessor to the election authority (Section 115.306).

The bill applies existing procedures for voters using provisional ballots to voters voting absentee in person at the office of the election authority or at another authorized location designated by the election authority (Section 114.427).

This bill allows a provisional ballot to be cast in any public election (Section 115.430).

The bill provides that votes for write-in candidates must be counted only for candidates who have filed a declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate, even if no candidate has filed for that office (Section 115.453).

The bill adds petitioning to the list of activities prohibited to be within a certain distance from the polling place. The bill also applies election-day electioneering rules to any building in which voting is occurring during the absentee voting period.

This bill allows an election authority to, after public notice, expand the distance from the polling location within which these activities are prohibited from 25 feet to 50 feet for most electioneering activities. However, candidates not seeking to vote can still engage in these activities within 25 feet from the polling location, and campaign signs will also be permitted within that distance (Section 115.637).

Currently, no contribution or expenditure of public funds can be made directly by any officer, employee, or agent of any political subdivision, school district, or charter school to advocate, support, or oppose the passage or defeat of any ballot measure or candidate for public office. This bill adds special districts to the list of public entities in this prohibition (Section 115.646).

This bill requires all solicitations for campaign contributions to state, in a clear and conspicuous manner, the committee that will benefit from the contribution. The solicitation must also indicate what percentage of the contribution will be received by the committee, and any other entity that will receive any part of the contribution.

The bill allows the solicitation of automatically-recurring contributions only if the contributor gives affirmative consent for the recurring contribution. The passive action of a contributor, including but not limited to failing to uncheck a prechecked box, does not constitute affirmative consent.

This bill requires committees soliciting recurring contributions to provide receipts to the contributors, the contents of which are specified in the bill, and to cancel the recurring contributions upon request prior to the next scheduled deduction date.

Any committee that solicits and receives a contribution in violation of this bill must return the contribution to the donor immediately. The bill allows the Missouri Ethics Commission to impose a civil penalty on a committee violating the provisions of this bill of up to 100 times the amount of the contribution received in violation of these provisions.

The bill requires recurring contributions to expire automatically after the election at which the candidate or measure benefiting from the contribution appears on the ballot. Recurring contributions made to a candidate who wins a primary election can continue until the general election (Section 130.031).

This bill adds childcare expenses that result directly from campaigning for office or in connection with the duties of public office and expenses associated with personal security of the holder of elective office to the list of permissible uses of campaign funds (Section 130.034).

Progress:

Passed Into Law

Last Action:

07/13/2026

G - Signed by the Governor

Bill History:

07/13/2026

G - Signed by the Governor

05/28/2026

G - Sent to the Governor

05/12/2026

H - Truly Agreed and Finally Passed - Y-101 N-47

05/12/2026

H - House Concurred in Senate Amendments - Y-104 N-44

05/12/2026

H - Laid out for consideration

05/12/2026

H - Reported Do Pass - House-Fiscal Review

05/12/2026

H - Voted Do Pass - House-Fiscal Review

05/12/2026

H - Referred to committee - House-Fiscal Review

05/11/2026

S - Senate requests House concurrence

05/11/2026

S - Third Read and Passed - Y-25 N-6

05/11/2026

S - Floor Substitute Adopted

05/11/2026

S - Floor Amendment(s) Adopted - 3

05/11/2026

S - Laid out for consideration

05/07/2026

S - Placed on Informal Calendar

04/28/2026

S - Reported Do Pass as substituted - Senate-Local Government, Elections, and Pensions

04/20/2026

S - Voted Do Pass as substituted - Senate-Local Government, Elections, and Pensions

04/13/2026

S - Hearing Conducted - Senate-Local Government, Elections, and Pensions

04/09/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 04/13/2026, 2:00 PM - Senate-Local Government, Elections and Pensions, Senate Lounge

04/08/2026

S - Referred to committee - Senate-Local Government, Elections, and Pensions

04/08/2026

S - Read Second Time

04/07/2026

S - Reported to the Senate and read first time

04/02/2026

H - Third Read and Passed - Y-128 N-17

04/02/2026

H - Laid out for consideration

04/02/2026

H - Placed on Informal Calendar

03/31/2026

H - Perfected

03/31/2026

H - Committee substitute adopted

03/31/2026

H - Floor Amendment(s) Adopted - 3

03/31/2026

H - Laid out for consideration

03/23/2026

H - Placed on Informal Calendar

03/03/2026

H - Reported Do Pass - House-Rules-Administrative

03/03/2026

H - Voted Do Pass - House-Rules-Administrative

02/26/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 03/03/2026, 9:00 AM - House - Rules - Administrative, HR 4

02/24/2026

H - Referred to committee - House-Rules-Administrative

01/27/2026

H - Reported Do Pass as substituted - House-Elections

01/27/2026

H - Voted Do Pass as substituted - House-Elections

01/22/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 01/27/2026, 10:00 AM - ** REVISED for TIME ** - House-Elections, HR 5

01/15/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 01/20/2026, 11:00 AM - House-Elections, HR 5

01/13/2026

H - Public hearing completed - House-Elections

01/08/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 01/13/2026, 8:00 AM - ** REVISED to ADD HB 1788 ** - House-Elections, HR 5

01/08/2026

H - Referred to committee - House-Elections

01/08/2026

H - Read Second Time

01/07/2026

H - Read First Time

12/01/2025

H - Pre-Filed

HB1940 - Rep. Peggy McGaugh (R) - Changes the law regarding advertisements and orders of publication in newspapers

Summary:

SCS HB 1940 -- PUBLICATION OF NOTICES

This bill provides that, in the case of a bond election, if an election contest is not filed within 30 days after the official announcement of the election result, all conditions of state election law will be deemed to have been complied with in the issuance of the bond (section 108.240).

The bill allows a notice of election to be sent by email (Section 115.125).

Currently, the first notice of election must be published within two weeks prior to the election, and the second must be published within one week prior to the election. This bill requires both notices to be published within six weeks prior to the election.

Currently, jurisdictions with populations under a certain size and in which no newspaper meeting the legal requirements is published are permitted to send legal notice to voters via mail instead of publishing the notice in a newspaper. This bill allows any election authority the option to mail legal notice rather than publishing the notice in a newspaper. The mailing must occur within six weeks prior to the election. The election authority is permitted to exclude from the mailing any voter designated as inactive.

Currently, the filing time for declarations of candidacy for offices in political subdivisions or special districts not otherwise specified in law or charter is from the 17th Tuesday prior to the election through the 14th Tuesday prior to the election. This bill moves the filing time by one week, from the 16th Tuesday prior to the election to the 13th Tuesday prior to the election. The bill also provides that, if the 13th Tuesday prior to the election is a State or Federal holiday, the closing filing date will be the next day that is not a State or Federal holiday (Section 115.127).

Currently, in order to qualify to run public notices and advertisements, a newspaper must have been published regularly for a period of three years or it must be the successor newspaper to a defunct newspaper and begin publication no later than 30 days after the termination of the prior newspaper.

This bill reduces the time period of regular publication from three years to one year and increases the time period from 30 days to 90 days within which a successor newspaper must begin publication. The bill also allows a newspaper that has been purchased or newly established by another newspaper that satisfies these conditions to qualify (Sections 493.050 and 493.070).

Progress:

Passed Into Law

Last Action:

07/13/2026

G - Signed by the Governor

Bill History:

07/13/2026

G - Signed by the Governor

05/28/2026

G - Sent to the Governor

05/12/2026

H - Truly Agreed and Finally Passed - Y-142 N-1

05/12/2026

H - House Concurred in Senate Amendments - Y-142 N-1

05/12/2026

H - Laid out for consideration

05/12/2026

H - Reported Do Pass - House-Fiscal Review

05/12/2026

H - Voted Do Pass - House-Fiscal Review

05/11/2026

H - Referred to committee - House-Fiscal Review

05/07/2026

S - Senate requests House concurrence

05/07/2026

S - Third Read and Passed - Y-29 N-0

05/07/2026

S - Committee substitute adopted

05/07/2026

S - Floor Amendment(s) Adopted - 1

05/07/2026

S - Laid out for consideration

04/16/2026

S - Reported Do Pass as substituted - Senate-Local Government, Elections, and Pensions

04/13/2026

S - Voted Do Pass as substituted - Senate-Local Government, Elections, and Pensions

04/07/2026

S - Hearing Conducted - Senate-Local Government, Elections, and Pensions

04/02/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 04/07/2026, 1:30 PM - Senate-Local Government, Elections, and Pensions, SCR 2

03/23/2026

S - Referred to committee - Senate-Local Government, Elections, and Pensions

03/23/2026

S - Read Second Time

03/11/2026

S - Reported to the Senate and read first time

03/11/2026

H - Third Read and Passed - Y-145 N-1

03/11/2026

H - Laid out for consideration

03/09/2026

H - Perfected

03/09/2026

H - Laid out for consideration

03/04/2026

H - Placed on Informal Calendar

02/11/2026

H - Reported Do Pass - House-Consent and Procedure

02/10/2026

H - Voted Do Pass - House-Consent and Procedure

02/05/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 02/10/2026, 4:00 PM - House-Consent and Procedure, HR 5

02/02/2026

H - Recommended for House Consent Calendar

02/02/2026

H - Reported Do Pass - House-Local Government

01/28/2026

H - Voted Do Pass - House-Local Government

01/23/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 01/28/2026, 8:00 AM - House-Local Government, HR 5

01/21/2026

H - Public hearing completed - House-Local Government

01/19/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 01/21/2026, 8:00 AM - House-Local Government, HR 5

01/08/2026

H - Referred to committee - House-Local Government

01/08/2026

H - Read Second Time

01/07/2026

H - Read First Time

12/01/2025

H - Pre-Filed

SB1002 - Sen. Adam Schnelting (R) - Creates and modifies provisions relating to elections submitted to the people by a school board of any school district located in St. Charles County

Summary:

SS SB 1002 -- ELECTIONS SUBMITTED TO THE PEOPLE BY A SCHOOL BOARD

This bill requires all elections for school board members of any school district in which a majority of the district is located in St. Charles County to be held at the November general election and makes all such terms four years. At the time of filing a declaration of candidacy, a candidate can voluntarily designate his or her party affiliation and consent to have such affiliation appear beside the candidate's name on the ballot.

The bill requires the board of a seven member district in St. Charles County, other than an urban district, to elect a president and vice president and on or before the 15th day in January in odd-numbered years, elect a secretary and a treasurer. The secretary and treasurer may or may not be members of the board. No compensation for either the secretary and treasurer will be granted until the report and settlement are made, filed , and published as the law directs.

The bill further requires all proposals submitted to the voters of any school district in which a majority of the district is located in St. Charles County for the purpose of levying a new tax or renewing or increasing the levy of an existing tax, including for the issuance of bonded indebtedness, to be submitted at the November general election.

Citations:

162.301, 162.341, 162.459, 162.481, 162.082, 164.320

Progress:

Passed Into Law

Last Action:

07/13/2026

G - Signed by the Governor

Bill History:

07/13/2026

G - Signed by the Governor

05/28/2026

G - Sent to the Governor

05/15/2026

H - Truly Agreed and Finally Passed

05/15/2026

H - Third Read and Passed - Y-83 N-64

05/15/2026

H - Reconsidered Third Read Vote - Y-85 N-60

05/15/2026

H - Third Read and Defeated - Y-81 N-66

05/15/2026

H - Laid out for consideration

05/11/2026

H - Reported Do Pass - House-Rules-Legislative

05/11/2026

H - Voted Do Pass - House-Rules-Legislative

05/08/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 05/14/2026, 1:00 PM - ** REVISED to REMOVE BILLS ** - House-Rules-Legislative, HR 1

05/08/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 05/13/2026, 9:30 AM - ** REVISED to REMOVE BILLS ** - House-Rules-Legislative, HR 1

05/08/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing

05/08/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 05/11/2026, 3:45 PM - House-Rules-Legislative, HR 1

05/07/2026

H - Referred to committee - House-Rules-Legislative

05/05/2026

H - Reported Do Pass - House-Children and Families

05/04/2026

H - Voted Do Pass - House-Children and Families

05/04/2026

H - Public hearing completed - House-Children and Families

04/30/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 05/04/2026, 1:00 PM - House-Children and Families, HR 1

04/30/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 05/04/2026, 1:00 PM - House-Children and Families, HR 1

04/27/2026

H - Referred to committee - House-Children and Families

04/07/2026

H - Read Second Time

04/02/2026

H - Reported to the House and read first time

04/02/2026

S - Third Read and Passed - Y-23 N-8

04/02/2026

S - Laid out for consideration

04/02/2026

S - Reported Do Pass - Senate-Fiscal Oversight

04/02/2026

S - Voted Do Pass - Senate-Agriculture, Food Production, and Outdoor Resources

04/01/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 04/02/2026, 9:30 AM - Senate-Fiscal Oversight, Senate Lounge

03/31/2026

S - Referred to committee - Senate-Fiscal Oversight

03/31/2026

S - Perfected

03/31/2026

S - Floor Substitute Adopted

03/31/2026

S - Laid out for consideration

03/25/2026

S - Reported Do Pass - Senate-Education

02/10/2026

S - Voted Do Pass - Senate-Education

02/05/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 02/10/2026, 8:00 AM - Senate-Education, Senate Lounge

02/03/2026

S - Hearing Conducted - Senate-Education

01/29/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 02/03/2026, 8:00 AM - Senate-Education, Senate Lounge

01/29/2026

S - Removed from Senate Hearing Agenda - 1/29/26 - 9:30 am - SCR 2 - Senate-Education

01/25/2026

S - ** REVISED for DATE CHANGE ** - 1/29/26 - 8:00 am - Senate Lounge - Senate-Education

01/22/2026

H - Scheduled for Committee Hearing - 01/29/2026, 9:30 AM - ** REVISED to REMOVE PUBLIC HEARING ** - Senate-Education, SCR 2

01/08/2026

S - Referred to committee - Senate-Education

01/08/2026

S - Read Second Time

01/07/2026

S - Read First Time

12/01/2025

S - Pre-Filed