Nearly 1,000 volunteers with the Respect Missouri Voters Coalition will gather signatures Wednesday night as part of a campaign aimed at protecting majority rule in Missouri.
A ballot initiative drafted by the group would create the Respect Missouri Voters amendment to "ban the legislature from deceiving voters with confusing ballot language, ban them from making the initiative process harder to use and ban them from overturning the will of the people."
The campaign started last year but is progressing to a new stage as the legislature holds a special session aimed at approving a gerrymandered congressional map and a resolution that threatens the initiative petition process.
The Respect Missouri Voters Coalition promotes people checking the power of politicians, an issue highlighted in the special session with House Joint Resolution 3. The resolution would require that state constitutional amendments proposed by the public receive a majority vote in all eight districts, while amendments proposed by the legislature would only require a statewide majority vote.
"The only way we're going to end gerrymandering is using a citizen initiative, and the only way we're going to stop them from attacking our freedom of the citizen initiative is by passing the Respect Missouri Voters Amendment," said Benjamin Singer, co-founder and campaign director for the Respect Missouri Voters Coalition.
To create a state constitutional amendment that would represent Missouri voters, the coalition held 25 town halls, three surveys and two policy summits where they heard from the people of Missouri.
The group filed three initiatives with the secretary of state to amend the state constitution to protect the citizen initiative process in February. In April, the Respect Missouri Voters Coalition held a policy summit where Missouri voters gathered to discuss the initiative.
"We didn't hear anything like what the legislature is proposing," Singer said. "If they want to protect the will of the people, they should start by asking the people what they want."
The group has been campaigning to get the Respect Missouri Voters amendment on the 2026 ballot since last year. To achieve this, the initiative requires a petition signed by 8% of voters in two-thirds of Missouri's congressional districts.
The Respect Missouri Voters amendment offers protection against HJR 3 being used to overturn amendments already approved by voters. It would require that the legislature not change or repeal anything passed by a citizen initiative unless it receives at least 80% support in both chambers, ensuring bipartisan support.
Deceptive language is also a complaint the initiative aims to address. Singer noted the language used in HJR 3 that creates the "Protect Missouri Voters amendment" is similar to the "Respect Missouri Voters amendment," which could confuse voters.
If the Respect Missouri Voters campaign is successful, the amendment measure would appear on the 2026 ballot along with HJR 3, in an election that could preserve or restrict constitutional amendments by initiative petition.
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