ST. LOUIS — Early voting is open in St. Charles County Thursday after a judge issued a temporary restraining order to put no-excuse absentee voting on hold Wednesday.

What You Need To Know

  • Early voting is open in St. Charles County Thursday after a judge issued a temporary restraining order to put no-excuse absentee voting on hold Wednesday

  • Kurt Bahr, the St. Charles County Director of Elections, told Spectrum News legal counsel has advised him that nothing is official until the judge issues a ruling after a Friday motion hearing

  • Travis Heins, a St. Charles County Republican Committeeman from O’Fallon, filed the request for an injunction after he said he was denied access as an elections “Watcher” and Challenger at the county’s two absentee voting sites in St. Peters and Wentzville

  • Bahr says he welcomes the legislature looking at the statue and making it more clear in relation to the no-excuse absentee voting period
 

Kurt Bahr, the St. Charles County Director of Elections, told Spectrum News legal counsel has advised him that nothing is official until the judge issues a ruling after a Friday motion hearing.  “There is no injunction to stop early voting at this time, so our voting locations will be opened as originally planned Thursday,” said Bahr. 

Bahr told Spectrum News Thursday that he was served court documents at 11 a.m.

Travis Heins, a St. Charles County Republican Committeeman from O’Fallon, filed the request for an injunction after he said he was denied access as an elections “Watcher” and Challenger at the county’s two absentee voting sites in St. Peters and Wentzville. 

Heins’ filing claims Kurt Bahr, the county’s Director of Elections, said that state statutes don’t apply to an election challenger during the early voting period and that election watchers, who watch the votes being counted, had nothing to watch because the votes aren’t counted until election night.

But Heins pointed to a radio interview Bahr gave where he said early votes go into a tabulator and are being counted. 

The injunction granted by St. Charles County Judge Judge Daniel Pelikan puts a hold on no-excuse absentee voting without watchers and challengers present. 

Bahr explained Thursday that "The issue is they are saying the voting process shouldn’t occur unless a challenger is allowed to be present for it. We don’t actually have a problem with that, again we allow it for Election Day, we have no problem with that, but as we understand the statute, it is an Election Day only process. I think the legislature should relook at the statue and make it more clear about the absentee voting process."

The Missouri Secretary of State verified no-excuse absentee voting would continue at the election authority and a satelitte location in Wentzville. 

"We will continue to follow state statute as we administer the election for the voters of St. Charles County," said Bahr.

Voters waiting until Election Day to cast their vote can do so at their assigned polling place from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 5. The Election Authority is also open for voting during those hours for any registered voter in the county.

Both sides are due in court for a hearing Friday morning at 9 a.m.

The last day of no-excuse absentee voting statewide is Monday ahead of Tuesday's General Election Day.