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HB 1871MISSOURISession 2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Missouri House Bill 1871 Modifies Election Laws, Candidacy Rules, and Voting Procedures

Original title: ELECTIONS

Last action · July 13, 2026: Delivered to Secretary of State (G)Sponsors: Peggy McGaugh and 1 other

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

Missouri HB 1871 updates state election laws by modifying candidate filing deadlines, absentee voting procedures, photo identification requirements, and campaign finance and tax compliance affidavits for candidates. The law also restructures the rules for presidential preference primaries, s, and election offenses.

Why it matters

Candidates face stricter tax compliance checks and disqualification penalties, voters encounter revised rules for photo identification and ing, and election authorities must adhere to adjusted notice publication timelines.

Background
  • House Bill 1871 was introduced during the 2026 Second Regular Session of the 103rd Missouri General Assembly. context
  • Missouri election statutes govern voter registration, absentee balloting standards, candidate filing requirements, and the administration of primary and general elections. context

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Registered voters in Missouri

Voters must present specific personal photo identification at polling places or utilize provisional ballots subject to eligibility verification.

Directly affected

Candidates for public office

Candidates must submit tax compliance affidavits, meet updated filing deadlines, and face disqualification for felony convictions or tax delinquencies.

Directly affected

Local election authorities

Election authorities are responsible for conducting equipment testing, publishing legal notices, verifying provisional ballots, and maintaining confidential absentee lists.

Directly affected

Department of Revenue

The department must investigate candidate tax delinquency complaints and provide nondriver's licenses and required documentation.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What forms of photo identification are accepted when voting in Missouri?
Accepted forms include a nonexpired Missouri driver's license, a nonexpired or nonexpiring Missouri nondriver's license, certain nonexpired documents containing a photograph issued by the US or Missouri, or photo ID issued by the Missouri National Guard, US Armed Forces (including Space Force), or the US Department of Veteran Affairs.
What happens if a candidate has unpaid state or property taxes?
A candidate filing for public office who is delinquent in state income, personal property, municipal, or real property taxes is disqualified from participating in the election and barred from refiling for an entire election cycle if they fail to remit outstanding taxes within thirty days of notice.
When must voting tabulating equipment be tested before an election?
Automatic tabulating equipment must be tested at least fourteen days prior to an election (and no less than one week prior if an electronic voting system is used) to ensure compliance and correct counting.
Are voters charged for documents needed to obtain a photo ID for voting?
The state and its agencies must provide one copy of birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, adoption decrees, name change court orders, Social Security cards, and naturalization papers free of charge if needed to obtain voter photo identification.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

50 actions
  1. Jul 13, 2026House
    Delivered to Secretary of State (G)
  2. Jul 13, 2026Governor of MissouriEnrolled
    Approved by Governor (G)
  3. May 28, 2026Governor of Missouri
    Delivered to Governor
  4. May 28, 2026Senate
    Signed by President Pro Tem (S)
  5. May 28, 2026House
    Signed by House Speaker (H)
  6. May 12, 2026House
    House Message (H)
Show 44 earlier actions
  1. May 12, 2026House
    Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed
  2. May 12, 2026House
    House Adopts (H)
  3. May 12, 2026House
    Taken Up
  4. May 12, 2026HouseCommittee
    Reported Do Pass (H)
  5. May 12, 2026HouseCommittee
    Voted Do Pass (H)
  6. May 12, 2026House
    Executive Session Completed (H)
  7. May 12, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred: Fiscal Review(H)
  8. May 12, 2026House
    Reported to the House with... (H)
  9. May 11, 2026SenateFloor
    Third Read and Passed with Amendments (S)
  10. May 11, 2026Senate
    SS Adopted (S)
  11. May 11, 2026House
    SS Offered
  12. May 11, 2026Senate
    Taken Up for Third Reading (S)
  13. May 7, 2026House
    Placed on Informal Calendar
  14. Apr 28, 2026SenateCommittee
    SCS Reported Do Pass (S)
  15. Apr 20, 2026SenateCommittee
    SCS Voted Do Pass (S)
  16. Apr 20, 2026Senate
    Executive Session Held (S)
  17. Apr 13, 2026Senate
    Public Hearing Held (S)
  18. Apr 13, 2026Senate
    Public Hearing Scheduled (S)
  19. Apr 8, 2026SenateCommittee
    Second read and referred: Local Government, Elections and Pensions(S)
  20. Apr 7, 2026Senate
    Reported to the Senate and First Read (S)
  21. Apr 2, 2026HouseFloor
    Third Read and Passed (H)
  22. Apr 2, 2026House
    Taken Up for Third Reading (H)
  23. Apr 2, 2026House
    Placed on the Informal Third Reading Calendar (H)
  24. Mar 31, 2026House
    Perfected with Amendments (H)
  25. Mar 31, 2026House
    HCS Adopted (H)
  26. Mar 31, 2026House
    Title of Bill - Agreed To
  27. Mar 31, 2026House
    Taken Up for Perfection (H)
  28. Mar 23, 2026House
    Placed on the Informal Perfection Calendar (H)
  29. Mar 11, 2026House
    Placed Back on Formal Perfection Calendar (H)
  30. Mar 10, 2026House
    Placed on the Informal Perfection Calendar (H)
  31. Mar 3, 2026HouseCommittee
    Reported Do Pass (H)
  32. Mar 3, 2026HouseCommittee
    Voted Do Pass (H)
  33. Mar 3, 2026House
    Executive Session Completed (H)
  34. Feb 24, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred: Rules - Administrative(H)
  35. Jan 27, 2026HouseCommittee
    HCS Reported Do Pass (H)
  36. Jan 27, 2026HouseCommittee
    HCS Voted Do Pass (H)
  37. Jan 27, 2026House
    Executive Session Completed (H)
  38. Jan 20, 2026House
    Action Postponed (H)
  39. Jan 20, 2026House
    Executive Session Continued
  40. Jan 13, 2026House
    Public Hearing Completed (H)
  41. Jan 8, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred: Elections(H)
  42. Jan 8, 2026HouseFloor
    Read Second Time (H)
  43. Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Read First Time (H)
  44. Dec 1, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Prefiled (H)

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Peggy McGaughHouse · District 7RepublicanSponsor
Sherri GallickHouse · District 62RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Stricter Candidate Financial Vetting

HB 1871 integrates mandatory Department of Revenue investigations into candidate tax delinquencies and imposes strict disqualification periods.

Department of RevenueSecretary of State

Connected Entities

Joseph Engler, Department of Revenue, General Assembly and 6 more
PersonJoseph Engler“Chief Clerk.”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Revenue“Investigates candidate tax compliance affidavits.”Map →
OrganizationGeneral Assembly“Enacting legislative body of the state of Missouri.”Map →
OrganizationSecretary of State“Receives candidate filings and promulgates election rules.”Map →
OrganizationUnited States Department of Veteran Affairs“Issues acceptable photo identification for voting.”Map →
OrganizationUnited States Armed Forces“Includes Space Force; issues acceptable photo identification.”Map →
PersonPeggy McGaugh“Introduced House Bill 1871 as Representative for District 007.”Map →
PersonSherri Gallick“Co-sponsor for District 062.”Map →
OrganizationMissouri National Guard“Issues acceptable photo identification for voting.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

house.mo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy60
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

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