HB847 repeals and replaces Missouri’s existing voter-qualification statute, section 115.133, to change the rules governing voting rights for people on probation or parole after a felony conviction. Under the bill, a Missouri resident who is a U.S. citizen and at least 17 years and 6 months old may register to vote, with voting permitted in elections held on or after the person’s 18th birthday. The bill preserves the existing prohibition on voting for persons adjudged incapacitated and for persons confined under a sentence of imprisonment.
The key substantive change is the removal of the current disqualification that bars people from voting while on probation or parole after a felony conviction. The bill also retains the prohibition on voting after conviction of a felony or misdemeanor connected with the right of suffrage, and it keeps the existing registration requirement that a person must be registered in the jurisdiction of residence before the deadline, subject to federal law and other Missouri election provisions.
Impact
If enacted, HB847 would expand voting eligibility in Missouri by restoring suffrage to individuals on probation or parole for felony convictions, ending the current loss of voting rights during community supervision. It would amend the state’s election code by repealing and reenacting section 115.133, affecting election administrators, probationers and parolees, and voters with criminal convictions. The bill would not change the existing rules for incarcerated individuals, persons adjudged incapacitated, or those convicted of offenses directly connected to suffrage.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded vote history, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill’s caption and text, the measure appears to be a voting-rights expansion focused on re-enfranchisement of people under probation or parole supervision. In the absence of recorded discussion, the overall sentiment cannot be determined from the provided materials.
Contention
The principal point of contention is likely the policy choice to restore voting rights to people on probation or parole after felony convictions. Supporters would view the bill as expanding civic participation and removing a collateral consequence of conviction, while opponents may argue that felony supervision should continue to limit voting until final discharge. The bill does not include any compromise language beyond preserving restrictions for incarcerated persons and those convicted of offenses tied to suffrage, so the central dispute is whether community supervision should count as a continuing bar to voting.