This is not an ACLU of Missouri case, but the ACLU submitted an emergency amicus brief on Natalie Vowell's behalf.
May 13, 2014
Natalie A. Vowell asserted in a lawsuit that she had been a resident of St. Louis since 2010 and that she had lived in the 78th Missouri House District since 2011. She was frustrated with the political status quo and as an expression of this frustration chose not to register to vote until July 2013. She registered then after deciding that the political situation could be improved if the status quo was challenged.
In March 2014, she filed a declaration of candidacy with the Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, seeking election as representative for the 78th Missouri House District. Her declaration of candidacy was accepted without objection and Vowell was listed as a candidate on the Secretary's website.
On May 6, 2014, despite already accepting Vowell's declaration for candidacy, the Secretary's office mailed a letter to Vowell claiming that she was not qualified to serve as a state representative because she did not appear to meet the state's voter registration requirement. The letter said that if she did not provide documentation by May 14, 2014, showing that she was registered to vote for two years before the November 2014 election, her name would not be certified for the ballot.
Update May 21, 2014
The trial court held a hearing on May 16, and on May 21 the court found Vowell lacked standing and dismissed her claims.
Update June 5, 2014
The ACLU of Missouri filed an amicus brief on June 5, 2014, claiming that Natalie Vowell has standing to assert her claims and urged the Court to reverse its judgment.
Update June 19, 2014
The Court ruled that Kander did not have the authority to refuse to certify Vowell's name for the primary ballot, so her name will appear on the August 2014 primary ballot.