Case: American Women v. Missouri

20AC-CC00333 | Missouri state trial court

Filed Date: Aug. 20, 2020

Closed Date: Oct. 30, 2020

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Case Summary

NOTE: This case is being tracked in close to real time by the Stanford/MIT Healthy Elections Project. So for information, see their tracker. According to their summary as of November 10, 2020, After the Missouri officials realized the pandemic would affect the November 3 election, they passed a new bill loosening many of its previous requirements, but only for some voters and not others. These plaintiffs challenge five restrictions that either remain after or were imposed by these rule changes…

NOTE: This case is being tracked in close to real time by the Stanford/MIT Healthy Elections Project. So for information, see their tracker.

According to their summary as of November 10, 2020,

After the Missouri officials realized the pandemic would affect the November 3 election, they passed a new bill loosening many of its previous requirements, but only for some voters and not others. These plaintiffs challenge five restrictions that either remain after or were imposed by these rule changes: (1) application of the notarization requirement to some voters but not others; (2) the election day receipt requirement; (3) the ban on ballot collection; (4) the "inconsistent and indiscriminate evaluation criteria" used to determine whether a ballot is valid or will be rejected; and (5) a requirement that some absentee voters must return their ballots by mail, while others may return them in person. In addition to challenging all restrictions under the Right of Suffrage and Equal Protection provisions of the Missouri Constitution, the plaintiffs also challenge the Election Day Deadline under the Procedural Due Process Clause of the Missouri Constitution, and the Ballot Collection Ban under the Freedom of Speech Clause of the Missouri Constitution.

Summary Authors

Colin Cantwell (2/5/2025)

People


Judge(s)

Green, Daniel (Missouri)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Elias, Marc Erik (District of Columbia)

Gonski, Sarah Rae (Arizona)

Hatfield, Charles W. (Missouri)

Nkwonta, Uzoma (District of Columbia)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

20AC-CC00333

Petition for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief

American Women v. State of Missouri

Aug. 20, 2020

Aug. 20, 2020

Complaint

20AC-CC00333

Judgment

American Women v. State of Missouri

Oct. 22, 2020

Oct. 22, 2020

Order/Opinion

Resources

Docket

Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 1:27 p.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: Missouri

Case Type(s):

Election/Voting Rights

Special Collection(s):

COVID-19 (novel coronavirus)

Healthy Elections COVID litigation tracker

Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA) project

Key Dates

Filing Date: Aug. 20, 2020

Closing Date: Oct. 30, 2020

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

American Women, a national nonprofit, as well as three individual Missouri voters who alleged their right to vote would be infringed by the challenged provisions.

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Non-profit NON-religious organization

Attorney Organizations:

Perkins Coie

Public Interest Lawyer: No

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Missouri, State

Secretary of State of Missouri, State

Defendant Type(s):

Jurisdiction-wide

Case Details

Causes of Action:

State law

Available Documents:

Complaint (any)

Non-settlement Outcome

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Defendant

Nature of Relief:

None

Source of Relief:

None

Issues

Voting:

Election administration

Voting: General & Misc.

Voting: Physical/Effective Access