The Missouri Constitution States:

"That all political power is vested in and derived from the people; that all government of right originates from the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole."

In other words, our politicians serve us. 

What is a Ballot/Citizen's Initiative?

One of the ways that Missourians can participate in direct democracy is by putting a law or amendment to the consitution onto the ballot. Only half of the states in the US give people the ability to do this. 

It's not easy: to get an amendment on the ballot, Missourians must gather about 300,000 signatures from across the state. And to pass, more than half of Missouri voters have to vote "Yes". 

What's Happening?

The ballot initiative process has increasingly come under attack, starting with politicians overturning the laws and amendments people have voted on, such as the 2010 Puppy Mill Cruelty and Prevention Act and the 2018 Clean Missouri Anti-Gerrymandering Amendment. 

Recently, we've seen attacks on Proposition A (Increase Minimum Wage and Mandate Sick Leave) and Amendment 3 (Reproductive Freedom) which were just passed last November. Missouri politicians have said letting us pass mandatory sick time and minimum wage is like "asking your teenager if he wanted a checkbook" and that we don't know what we are voting for. We need to remind them that their job is to represent us and they cannot sabotage the will of the people. Over 17 bills have been introduced this legislative session that undermine this citizen's iniative ballot process and take away rights we've had for over 100 years.

How are Politicians Attacking the Will of the People?

Different tactics are used to undermine our voting rights and political power:

1. Changes to make the citizen's initiative process harder
   • For example, raising the bar on how many signatures are required to get on the ballot, or event what majority is required to pass an amendment.
2. Overturning laws or amendments previously introduced and passed by citizens
   • There is unfortunately a longstanding tradition of doing this in Missouri. If the ballot iniative is a law, a simple majority of the legistlators (a single political party) can outvote the will of the people. If the ballot iniative is a constitutional amendment, the legistlator has successfully been able to overturn those with ballot candy (in 2020 voters repealed Clean Missouri, which they had just passed in 2018, due to ballot language manipulation).
3. Ballot Candy
   • Misleading language that pairs a popular idea with a more controversial one in a ballot measure as a way to win over voters.

How Can We Stop It?

Respect Missouri Voters has several versions of ballot language under review for the 2026 Midterm Ballot, which push back on these attacks:

1. Protect the Current Process
   • Encode the current citizen's iniative process in the MO Consitution (meaning any changes would have to be voted on by the people).
2. Raise the Bar to Undo Our Vote
   • Any initiative changing a statute or the constitution could only be altered by lawmakers if 80% of members in both chambers pass it. 80% is above the current single party majority (75%) so would require cooperation from both parties to pass.
3. Prevent Tricky Ballot Languge
   • There are several approaches being discussed to ensure clear, accurate and unbiased language on the ballot. I can't be sure what will make it onto the ballot for this one.

View Our Timeline if you'd like to see more details about the plan. 

Why Now?

This is our last shot to protect our right to get iniatives on the ballot. As this legislature dismantles our rights and will likely put an oppositional amendment on the ballot, we have to get this right. To do that, we need $300,000 by July 1. If the campaign doesn't achieve that goal, your money will be returned. My ask is $20 each from 10 friends. I urge you to make your own fundraising page as well, because this is too important and too urgent.

I am volunteering for this cause because I see this as an insurance policy on my future vote. I want my vote to matter, I want your vote to matter, and I want some checks and balances to ensure our politicians to serve the people. If you agree, please help us in whatever way you can. 

What will my Donation Be Spent On?

• Lawyer's fees to ensure ballot language won't be overturned in court
• Poll test ballot language to ensure we'll have enough votes to win
• Printing petitions and gathering signatures
• Paying for volunteers to become notaries so they can certify signatures (I plan on doing this)
• Educate voters to vote 'Yes' in Nov 2026
• Software fees that helps us manage the campaign and extend our reach
• and a lot of other small things that help us win on the 2026 ballot