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CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (WSIL) -- A new law went into effect Sunday that designates more specific requirements for forms of identification that can be used to vote in Missouri, but a lawsuit has already been filed. 

House Bill 1878 was passed and requires a state-issued photo ID to be used. Those can include non-expired drivers licenses or military ID. 

Missouri has always required some form of ID to vote, but now forms like student IDs, expired licenses or voter registration cards are no longer accepted. Missouri is the 21st state to require a photo ID in the country. 

The bill also does other things regarding elections. It's added provisions for absentee voting. It also has restricted solicitation of voter registration. 

When the bill passed, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft tweeted on social media: "IT’S OFFICIAL: Missouri’s Election Integrity Measure requiring voter ID finally went into effect yesterday. Our state continues to make tremendous progress to stay at the TOP OF THE NATION as a leader in election security!"

A lawsuit was filed last week against the bill by Missouri Voter Protection Coalition and American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the Missouri NAACP and League of Women Voters. 

"In truth, House bill 1878 is truly breathtaking in the way it undermines elections in Missouri," Missouri Voter Protection Coalition Director Denise Lieberman said.  "Both by making it harder for registered voters to cast a ballot by eliminating forms of ID that they currently rely upon to verify their identities at the polls but also by criminalizing the activities of civic engagement organization that work to ensure underserved communities have access to the political process."

Lieberman quotes a study that says approximately 6% of registered voters don't have a non-expired Missouri ID on file. Examples are people who have moved and have not gotten a new Missouri ID, senior citizens with expired IDs, students and others. 

The advocates for the lawsuit point to barriers to getting to the DMV to obtain state IDs like lack of public transportation, lack of time for working individuals and a lack of knowledge. 

"People, when faced with new rules, just throw up their hands and say I don't understand and I don't want to risk it," Lieberman said. "As a result, what we see in other states that limit form of ID, is that voters stay home and don't want to participate, particularly the most underserved communities and it’s these communities that are often the least heard in the political process and we should be working to make voting more accessible for the communities whose voices we don’t here."

Similar legislation has been passed before but has been struck down in court each time.  

"The truth is the majority of us have IDs. In fact, I've litigated probably a dozen challenges to voter IDs law across the country and almost all of my clients had some form of ID, just not the limited kind you have to get at the DMV and that’s what House bill 1878 does," Lieberman said. 

They're asking for an expedited review of the law by the Supreme Court in hopes that the law will not be in effect for the November elections.

"A democracy only functions when everyone has a seat at the table," Lieberman said. "Missouri was already an ID state before this law. All Missourians already had to show ID to cast a ballot. All our election officials have already confirmed that our elections are safe and secure. There's no need to eliminate a form of ID that over 250,000 voters do not have."

Lieberman says in the meantime, the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition is working on initiatives to educate and assist voters on what forms of ID are acceptable and how to access them. They have a 'Show Me' What Democracy Looks Like on Thursday, Sept. 1 via a streaming link to help educate voters on how the law may impact them. You can find more information on attending at this link: