Tony Messenger | Political Fix St. Louis Post-Dispatch
JEFFERSON CITY — An analysis of the signatures submitted to the Secretary of State’s office by the group seeking to make all judges in Missouri elected fell short of statutory minimums, says a group opposing the effort.
Earlier this month, a group called ShowMe Better Courts submitted what it said was more than 250,000 signatures in its effort to do away with the state’s method for choosing many of its top judges, the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan. Instead, the group led by lobbyist James Harris would seek to have all judges elected. The group’s efforts have been opposed by a coalition of lawyers, judges and business groups who formed together as the Missourians for Fair and Impartial Courts Action Fund. That group argues that the current plan limits the effect of politics on judicial selection.
The opponents filed a Sunshine Law request to obtain the signature data submitted by Better Courts, and according to their analysis, the issue will not make the November ballot. The Secretary of State has until August to certify whether issues will qualify.
To qualify for the ballot, ShowMe Better Courts would need to collect 8 percent of the number of votes cast in the 2008 gubernatorial election in at least six of nine congressional districts. The group basically ignored three congressional districts in its signature gathering process, meaning only one of the remaining districts would have to fall short to disqualify the issue from the November ballot.
According to the analysis from Missourians for Fair And Impartial Courts — which was obtained by the Political Fix — the ShowMe Better Courts signatures likely were short in both the 7th and 9th congressional district, even if 100 percent of the signatures turned in are considered valid, which is unlikely.
The discrepancy in what ShowMe Better Courts turned in, and what is actually counted by the Secretary of State, could make up for some of the signature short fall. For instance, in Boone County, the ShowMe group said it submitted 1,500 pages of signatures. But, according to the opponents’ Sunshine Law request, the Secretary of State only counted 1,074 pages of signatures.
The dispute between the groups over the signatures has been quite intense and expensive.
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