ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – There’s a lot of counting to do in the office of the Missouri Secretary of State this week.  The office verifies petition signatures turned in to put questions onto the statewide ballot in Missouri.

Backers of a plan to raise the Missouri cigarette tax to 90-cents from 17 say they have far more names than they need to win a spot on the ballot in November.

Over the weekend more petitions arrived to raise the minimum wage to 8-dollars-25 cents an hour next year and to cap short-term payday loan rates at 36-per cent.

Spokesmen for all the groups submitting petitions say they have many more valid signatures than the law requires.

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