Voting law hurts first-time voters, mother says

ST. LOUIS -- A new election law designed to curtail fraudulent voting may actually prevent people wanting to cast absentee votes from voting at all.

Newly registered voters who register by mail must have their signature verified in person by election officials before casting absentee ballots, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Several hundred college students from St. Louis County who registered by mail and wanted to cast absentee ballots may be affected by the new law, said Judy Taylor, county democratic director of elections.

For example, Maryann Dille, 18, will be at Florida State University in Tallahassee this November, far from her hometown of Wildwood, 30 miles west of St. Louis. Allison Dille said her daughter had registered by mail in August, intending to vote absentee. Dille said the new law essentially disenfranchises her daughter.

The Missouri legislature approved the new election bill last session to limit voting fraud. Included is a provision saying election authorities cannot deliver absentee ballots to a person who registered by mail until that person presents proper identification at the polls.

The St. Louis County Election Board recently told Maryann Dille she will not receive a mail-in ballot because of the new law.

Taylor said she cannot interpret the new provision any other way. She added Maryann Dille could come to the Election Board on a weekend and present identification, if she was home from college. Then, Dille would be able to vote by mail in all subsequent elections.

Allison Dille said she could not afford to fly her daughter home to vote or to verify a signature.