Missouri voter rights case in the hands of appeals panel

(AP) With the election just three weeks away, a federal appeals panel in St. Louis is expected to rule soon on whether Missourians casting mail-in ballots can drop them off in person, despite a state regulation requiring them to be delivered via mail. U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes in Kansas City on Friday issued a temporary restraining order allowing voters to return mail-in ballots in person. But a day later, Wimes granted Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s request for a temporary stay, pending a ruling by the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It’s unclear when the three-judge panel will issue its ruling.