This year the Cape Girardeau Branch is focused on voter registration. We have formed The Cape Girardeau Branch NAACP Canvassing Team, which consist of students from Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO). The students have registered more than two-hundred students on campus this school year, and are now working with me to register voters off-campus. They have named themselves the "SEMO Democrats." We have received donations from a variety of sources to support the students' efforts. Prior to canvassing the South Cape Community, the team received training from the Cape Girardeau County Clerk office and me. We wanted them to clearly understand that the NAACP Canvassing team is nonpartisan, what the requirements of the law for registrars currently is, and how to properly make sure only eligible voters are registering through us. We are serving people and not a particular party or agenda - other than the importance of voter participation. Within two hours, we knocked on fifty-three doors. We held several impromptu conversations on the street. We registered one convicted felon who recently regained their eligibility but wasn't aware. We met one person who did not want to complete voter registration. I will re-visit this door. The team also had the opportunity to canvass a community event who provided our hard working students food. I have been canvassing and working as a Cape Girardeau Election Officer since I retired from the State of Missouri in 2015 and have canvassed for voter registration since that time. I have learned that there is much need for voter registration and education activities in the South Cape community. We have families who are not registered to vote; ones who are registered but do not vote; some who need a voter registration record update ; and finally, many who have been on probation in the past and do not realize they are eligible to vote. I am proud of our students and our branch for making this project a priority.  We plan to canvass weekly on Saturday (weather permitting) through October 2024. I will provide updates on our registration progress as we work to make sure every eligible voter in our area has a chance to register. We really appreciate the support of the MO State Conference of the NAACP!

The Missouri legislature is taking away the rights of the voters in St. Louis to run their own local government.

A Call to Action: The Fight for Justice and Equality in Missouri

My idea of living the dream is to be accepted for who I am. Black is amazing, strong, resilient. We are so much more than the suffering.

During the week of Thanksgiving 2023 , the MO State Conference of the NAACP, in conjunction with the ACLU, the League of Women Voters, and the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, has been engaged in a lawsuit against the State of MO. This lawsuit is to challenge the state’s Voter ID law. This law, which has already been determined to be unconstitutional by the MO Supreme Court on two separate occasions, is yet another attempt to further marginalize groups and disenfranchise black and brown Missourians. According to the Missouri Secretary of State, there are over 100,000 who do not have a state issued ID and another 100,000 who have an ID that is expired or otherwise voided. Prior to the passage of HB 1878 in 2022, these people were able to register and to vote. Over 200,000 Missouri citizens were denied their constitutional right to vote after this law was passed. The people most affected by this legislation are the most marginalized groups in our state. This is yet another attempt to harm and deny citizens fundamental rights by attacking those most vulnerable. The attacks on our democratic process are under the guise of trying to stop voter fraud. Proponents of these types of legislation claim that there is rampant voter fraud in our elections. This is simply not the case. By our own Secretary of State’s data, corroborated by independent investigations, there have been no instances of voter fraud found in the last 20 years that would’ve been prevented by these policies. These policies only create undue burdens on registered voters and decrease voter turnout. The only way for someone under these strict ID requirements to be able to vote under these circumstances would be to cast a provisional ballot. With our provisional ballot system, one’s vote may not even be counted if it doesn’t comply with dubious and unclear signature matching processes. The aim of these types of laws is not to protect our constitutional right to vote but to make it more difficult and cumbersome for the most marginalized groups in our society. This trial presents a pivotal moment in our ongoing efforts to ensure a fair and just voting process for all Missourians. We need your participation and kindly ask that you extend this invitation to the members of your units. Your presence, along with the members of your units, would greatly underscore the united stand of the NAACP against discriminatory practices. Let's stand together. We encourage attendees to wear the NAACP branded Buttons provided each morning to represent our solidarity and collective resolve. This is an occasion where our united front can significantly impact public perception and the cause we stand for. This attack on our constitutional right to make our voices heard is yet another validation for our travel advisory against the State of Missouri. This state has proven time and again that it is not a place that is safe for black and brown people. The hostility towards allowing everyone to have equal protection under the law and to exercise one’s guaranteed right to have a say in their government is why travel advisory will remain. The MO State Conference of the NAACP will continue to fight against bigotry and racism as we have done since our inception in 1909. We will continue to stand up to violence against our people and defend our rights to have our voices heard. We will not be silenced by those who seek to oppress us. I would like to once again thank our allies with the ACLU, the League of Women Voters, and the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition for standing with us against these attacks. Together we can work to make Missouri a better place for everyone.

Recently I was asked why the travel advisory we issued in conjunction with the National NAACP in 2017 is still in effect. More to the point, I was asked what we as an organization would need to see before we would withdraw the advisory. It’s a fair question. The real answer is a change in the culture of death that surrounds Missouri. I know that is a goal that we won’t reach tomorrow, but here are some of the specifics of why I think the travel advisory is still important.

"Any decision by the Governor to pardon DeValkenaere would be an affront to justice and the principle of equal protection under the law. Such an action would further deepen the divide between law enforcement and the Black community." - President Nimrod Chapel, Jr.