Requires a county central committee treasurer to accept a candidate's filing fee if the candidate has been affiliated with the party for at least twenty-six weeks prior to the election
Summary
HB 1064 revises Missouri law governing candidate filing fees for federal, state, and county offices. The bill repeals and reenacts section 115.357 to keep the existing fee structure for partisan candidates, including set amounts for statewide, congressional, judicial, legislative, and county offices, while preserving the rule that filing fees must be paid before a candidate’s name can appear on the ballot.
The bill also adds a new protection for candidates seeking county office: a county central committee treasurer may not reject a filing fee from a candidate who has been affiliated with that party for at least 26 weeks before the last Tuesday in February preceding the primary election. In addition, the bill retains the indigency waiver process, allowing candidates who cannot afford the fee to file a declaration of inability to pay along with a petition signed by a specified number of registered voters, and it continues to exempt independent candidates, new party candidates, and presidential electors from filing fees.
Impact
HB 1064 would amend Missouri’s election code, specifically section 115.357, by changing how county party committees handle filing fees for certain candidates while leaving most of the fee schedule intact. It affects candidates for partisan federal, state, and county offices, county central committee treasurers, election officials who receive filing paperwork, and ballot-access procedures tied to payment of filing fees or approved fee waivers.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be a procedural election bill with a limited, targeted purpose rather than a broadly controversial overhaul. The caption indicates support for ensuring county party committees accept filing fees from candidates with sufficient prior party affiliation, suggesting an intent to standardize or prevent rejection of filings. No committee debate or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of broader support or opposition in the available materials.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the new restriction on county central committee treasurers, who would be required to accept a filing fee from a candidate with at least 26 weeks of party affiliation. Supporters would likely view this as protecting qualified candidates from arbitrary rejection, while opponents might see it as limiting party discretion over candidate access to the ballot. A secondary issue is the continued use of filing fees and petition requirements for indigent candidates, though the bill does not materially change that framework.