In 10 state legislatures across the nation, more than 40 bills proposing new or more stringent voter identification requirements for registration or in-person voting had been introduced as of Feb. 11, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Missouri and Virginia account for 24 of the 40 bills. Missouri lawmakers are pondering 13 voter ID bills as part of a package spearheaded by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who has called for a bill requiring a state or federal photo ID to vote in person. The 11 bills in Virginia are in response to the 2021 adoption of the Voting Rights Act of Virginia before Republicans won the governorship and retook control of the House of Delegates last November. The Voting Rights Act of Virginia “effectively eliminated ID requirements when Democrats had control. The ID requirement is still on the books but the photo ID part is not …