Missouri governor vetoes voter ID legislation

[JURIST] Missouri Governor Jay Nixon [official website] vetoed legislation [SB 3 text, PDF; materials] on Friday that would have required individuals to present government-issued photo ID cards [JURIST news archive] at the voting booth. Proponents of the legislation argued [St. Louis Times report] that it is necessary to protect against election fraud. The bill also contained an extension on early voting, long sought-after by Missouri Democrats [AP report]. In a letter [text, PDF] explaining his decision, Nixon stated:Disenfranchising certain classes…