Clean Missouri remains on Nov. ballot as court battle continues

A Missouri court has put a hold on a decision that would have knocked a possible constitutional amendment off the November ballot.

The Western District Court of Appeals decided on Tuesday to stay a ruling made by Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green last week. Green ruled that the Clean Missouri ballot initiative violated the state’s single-topic rule for amendments. The stay means the initiative will remain on the ballot.

The issue, certified on the November ballot as Amendment 1, would bring a slew of ethics reforms to the state legislature, including campaign donation limits, making state lawmaker emails an open record and changing the redistricting process.

Supporters of Clean Missouri appealed Green’s decision shortly after it was made on Friday. The court of appeals will hear the case on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. during a special hearing in Kansas City. However, both sides of the case have asked the Missouri Supreme Court to consider the case before the court of appeals makes a decision.

The ongoing court battle means uncertainty on what the ballot may look like, just days before the first ballots are sent out. Local election authorities must send ballots to overseas military personnel that have requested ballots on Friday, and absentee voting begins next Tuesday.

Boone County Clerk Taylor Burks told ABC 17 News that ballots will go out to overseas military personnel on Friday as planned. If the Clean Missouri initiative is struck down by the Supreme Court after that date, the county will disregard the votes on that issue but count the votes on all other valid questions and races.

Burks said he plans to wait “until the last possible minute” before printing off paper ballots ahead of the start of next Tuesday’s absentee . Because the county prints ballots in-house, Burks expected them to make the necessary changes if needed without issue.

Cole County Clerk Steve Korsmeyer said he would handle possible votes on an invalidated Clean Missouri plan the same as Boone County. Cole County, however, orders its ballots from a third-party vendor. Korsmeyer said he plans on buying 500 ballots to get the county through the first week of absentee voting, then order more once Clean Missouri’s future becomes clear.