The Respect MO Voters Coalition turned in a record-breaking number of petition signatures to the Secretary of State's office for a 2026 constitutional amendment.
The signatures, collected from every congressional district in the state, represent a "massive statewide mobilization supporting the Respect MO Voters constitutional amendment to preserve the citizen initiative," according to a news release from the Respect MO Voters Coalition.
The amendment will require ballot summaries to be clear and accurate, preserve the freedom to petition and make it harder for politicians to change or undo what has already been voted on.
"Today, the voters of Missouri stand together to say, 'No more, enough is enough' to politicians' power grabs" said Benjamin Singer, co-founder of Respect MO Voters. "We're here to turn in 360,000 signatures for a citizen ballot initiative that allows the millions of Missouri voters to have our say in keeping this century-old freedom alive and strong."
Nearly 2,000 volunteers contributed to collecting signatures in all 115 counties in the state.
The signature collection started in February of 2025 with "volunteer-organized town halls, surveys, and policy summits to craft an amendment directly shaped by the people of Missouri," according to the news release. The volunteers then raised money to hire constitutional attorneys to draft the amendment.
"This amendment has been powered by volunteers from the start," said DeMarco Davidson, executive director for Metropolitan Congregations United. "Everyday people, reaching out to each other and having conversations in their communities to ensure power stays with the people."
The issue, many of the speakers agreed, is bipartisan.
"Preserving the citizen initiative process in Missouri is not a partisan issue," said Bob Johnson, a former state legislator, R-Lee's Summit. "It's come under attack in this state by whichever party holds the power in Jefferson City, going back decades."
"At the end of the day, this isn't about party lines, it's about defending the will of the people," said Matt Andrews, president of Laborers' Local 42 in St. Louis. "And that's something we should all be willing to stand up for."
After remarks from speakers, volunteers then carried the boxes of petitions into the Secretary of State's office.
The over 367,000 signatures set a record for most petition signatures gathered by volunteers in the state's history.
