July - 30 - 2026
🏛️ Issue of the Week: If Your Vote Doesn’t Matter, Why Do They Keep Trying to Take It Away?
Summary
Voter fraud is a crime that is very hard to pull off, especially at a scale that could change an election, and it carries serious criminal penalties. Yet the Trump administration and Republican leaders, including my opponent in the Missouri House, continue pushing policies that suppress the vote in the name of election security.
Why are undocumented claims of voter fraud being pushed by one party?
First, the majority of Americans disagree with them on issues like affordability and public safety. Second, they wish to sow distrust in American institutions including fair elections. Because, third, when you can't win the support of a majority of voters, the easiest path is to make it harder for some people to vote.
America Has Been a Beacon of Freedom Because of Our Free and Fair Elections
One of America's greatest strengths is that our elections are administered locally, not by a centralized national authority.
States establish election laws within constitutional limits, while local election boards, made up of Republicans, Democrats, and independents, carry them out. This system makes elections more transparent, more accountable, and more responsive to the communities they serve.
If you've never worked as a poll worker, I highly encourage it. You'll see firsthand the care that goes into protecting every legal vote.
This balance of federal standards and local control helps ensure that every eligible citizen has the opportunity to vote. Local election officials continually improve the process while maintaining an important fact: it is illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal or Missouri elections.
So while our elections have been strong, we should ask WHY then are recent policies making it harder for eligible citizens to vote, or changing the rules so that a minority can overrule the majority? Too often, those changes benefit people who know they cannot win broad public support.
The federal SAVE Act would require many voters to provide documents such as a birth certificate or passport to register, even if they already have a state-issued driver's license. That creates unnecessary barriers for many Americans, including seniors, students, and those who no longer have easy access to those records.
Here in Missouri, Amendment 4 would require a constitutional amendment to win not only a statewide majority but also a majority in every state senate district. A single district could block the will of millions of Missouri voters, making future constitutional changes extraordinarily difficult. Whether you agree with a particular amendment or not, that represents a significant shift away from majority rule.
Protecting elections should mean making them both secure and accessible. We can do both without making it harder for eligible Americans to have their voices heard. Our democracy works best when every eligible citizen can vote and every vote carries equal weight.
Key 33 Details – What Leadership Looks Like
Why do undocumented claims of voter fraud affect us in the 33rd? If people lose faith in our most important institution- our electoral systems, they stop participating. If US Citizens who are legally allowed to vote (be of age, registered, etc.) are turned away at the polls for frivolous reasons, they learn quickly that government does not care for them- so why should they care for their community? If the majority of voters vote for an initiative, but the initiative fails because of an unfair system, voters learn they have no say and stop caring about their community.
Simply put, voter suppression breaks down communities and faith in our government. Government is then free to operate in corruption, which leads to hyper incompetence. This leads to more people disengaging. It becomes a downward spiral.
Does this sound familiar? We must stop it now, and with a resounding NO.
A Better Path Forward & Conclusion
This is one of those moments when we have to decide what kind of democracy we want.
My opponent supports Amendment 4, a proposal that would make it much harder for Missourians to change their own Constitution by giving a minority of voters the power to overrule the statewide majority. Whether you support a particular amendment or not, that's a dangerous precedent. Our government should earn the support of the majority, not change the rules to make it easier to stay in power.
So how do we stop it?
We vote.
We learn the issues. We learn about the candidates. We encourage our friends and family to do the same. Primary and local elections matter because that's where the
fewest people participate, and where changes like Amendment 4 can quietly have the biggest impact on our future.
If we want a government that answers to the people, then the people have to show up. That's what self-government is all about. It begins with every eligible citizen having an equal voice and every vote carrying equal weight.
On August 4, make your plan to vote. Bring a friend or family member with you. And if you believe Missouri should continue to be governed by the will of the majority, vote NO on Amendment 4.