Missouri Voting and Elections 597
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CHAPTER 7 MISSOURI ELECTIONS Vice President Harry S Truman preparing to take oath of offi ce. Harry S Truman Library and Museum 596 OFFICIAL MANUAL When do Missourians vote? In addition to certain special and emergency dates, there are fi ve offi cial election dates in Mis- Missouri Voting souri: State law requires that all public elections be held on the general election day, the primary and Elections election day, the general municipal election day, the fi rst Tuesday after the fi rst Monday in Novem- Who registers to vote in Missouri? ber, or on another day expressly provided by city or county charter. In nonprimary years, an elec- Citizens living in Missouri must register in tion may be held on the fi rst Tuesday after the fi rst order to vote. Any U.S. citizen 17 years and 6 months of age or older, if a Missouri resident, Monday in August. (RSMo 115.123.1) may register to vote in any election held on or The general election day is the fi rst Tuesday after his/her 18th birthday, except: after the fi rst Monday in November in even-num- • A person who is adjudged incapacitated. bered years. The primary election day is the fi rst Tuesday after the fi rst Monday in August in even- • A person who is confi ned under sentence numbered years. (RSMo 115.121.1 and .2) of imprisonment. Elections for cities, towns, villages, school • A person who is on probation or parole boards and special district offi cers are held the after conviction of a felony until fi nally dis- fi rst Tuesday after fi rst Monday in April each charged. year, known as “general municipal election day.” • A person who has been convicted of a (RSMo 115.121.3) felony or misdemeanor connected with the A statewide presidential preference primary right of suffrage (RSMo 115.133). shall be held on the fi rst Tuesday after the fi rst Monday in February of each presidential election How do Missourians register? year. (RSMo 115.755) Qualifi ed citizens may register in person at the offi ce of their local election authority, by Who conducts registration and mail, at the driver’s license fee offi ce or at par- ticipating state agencies. Registration in person elections? is accomplished by fi lling out registration forms Voter registration and the conduct of elections with information on identity, residence and qual- are the responsibilities of the local election au- ifi cations which are signed and sworn to, then thorities in Missouri, which include the boards of witnessed by the election authority or a designee. election commissioners in the counties of Clay, (RSMo 115.155) Jackson, Platte and St. Louis; and in the cities Registration by mail, at the driver’s license of Kansas City and St. Louis; and of the election fee offi ce or at the participating state agencies re- authority in St. Charles County. The county clerk quires submission of an application stating quali- serves as the election authority in all other coun- fi cations. A verifi cation or rejection of registra- ties of the state. tion is sent by the election authority within seven working days. (RSMo 115.155 and 115.159) Special voting provisions Disabled voters and persons prevented from When do Missourians register? voting at the polls because of absence or illness An unregistered citizen may register to vote may vote absentee. Persons with permanent dis- whenever local election offi cials’ places of busi- abilities may apply for permanent absentee ballot ness are open, by requesting an application by status by making application with the local elec- mail from the election authority, when renewing tion authority. (RSMo 115.284) Curbside voting a Missouri driver’s license or when receiving ser- is permitted in Missouri, or voters may be trans- vices from a participating state agency. Special ferred to more accessible precincts. Local elec- registration sites and dates may be utilized prior tion offi cials should be contacted about absentee to major elections. federal service balloting or ‘’new resident’’ bal- The deadline for registration is the fourth lots for residents who arrive after the registration Wednesday prior to an election. New Missouri deadline. residents may register immediately. (RSMo When voting, Missourians must show an ap- 115.135) proved form of identifi cation. (RSMo 115.427) MISSOURI VOTING AND ELECTIONS 597 Elections and political parties Libertarian and Constitution parties. Persons may seek the nomination of these parties for any elec- Missourians do not register under party af- tive offi ce from the county level and above. In fi liation. Hence, at primary elections, voters order to become ‘’established,’’ a party must have may choose which ‘’established party’’ they vote received more than two percent of the votes cast within. Party nominees—and independent can- statewide for at least one of its candidates. New didates—are then listed on the general election parties are formed by petition and may exist on ballot. the county, district or state level. They must meet There are presently four ‘’established political the same standard as any other party to remain parties’’ statewide—the Democratic, Republican, “established.’’ Registered voters in Missouri, 2004–2012 *This is the number of registered voters from the Missouri Centralized Voter Registration list as of the November 6, 2012, General Election. This number is subject to change as the local election authorities continue to conduct their ongoing list maintenance activities. COUNTY 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Adair 18,262 14,744 17,427 17,032 15,873 Andrew 11,749 11,400 11,648 12,050 12,308 Atchison 4,647 4,677 4,726 4,291 4,222 Audrain 17,371 16,476 16,397 16,384 16,734 Barry 22,486 19,777 20,794 20,847 20,665 Barton 9,993 9,022 9,015 8,536 8,712 Bates 11,938 12,292 12,091 11,806 11,913 Benton 13,441 12,900 13,670 13,722 13,770 Bollinger 9,475 7,916 8,259 8,611 8,600 Boone 112,682 105,897 121,319 118,350 125,339 Buchanan 58,738 52,561 56,750 54,790 52,390 Butler 36,863 25,779 32,908 33,259 29,999 Caldwell 7,382 6,205 6,248 6,226 6,201 Callaway 27,317 28,177 29,454 30,533 28,307 Camden 28,764 27,689 30,229 30,444 30,680 Cape Girardeau 48,654 49,745 51,205 51,611 52,928 Carroll 7,245 6,730 7,091 6,632 6,473 Carter 4,615 4,789 4,727 4,497 4,518 Cass 67,464 69,129 70,475 69,104 73,146 Cedar 10,270 8,491 8,609 8,597 8,450 Chariton 7,017 5,931 5,957 5,864 5,708 Christian 49,809 53,007 50,033 52,674 54,116 Clark 5,261 5,299 5,384 5,458 5,025 Clay 137,399 137,215 151,042 153,054 156,591 Clinton 15,790 13,663 14,455 13,817 14,395 Cole 51,284 51,285 52,878 52,022 53,249 Cooper 11,054 11,367 11,494 11,202 11,436 Crawford 16,847 17,338 17,337 17,270 16,154 Dade 6,381 5,422 5,510 5,784 5,889 Dallas 12,562 10,438 10,939 11,045 11,092 Daviess 5,580 5,440 5,434 5,389 5,285 DeKalb 6,456 6,664 6,530 6,541 6,678 Dent 9,673 9,991 9,596 9,477 9,676 Douglas 10,631 10,621 10,758 10,147 10,236 Dunklin 24,641 21,236 21,560 20,466 19,117 Franklin 65,556 65,619 67,505 68,812 69,647 Gasconade 11,089 10,263 10,579 10,663 10,723 Gentry 5,408 5,218 5,181 4,914 4,840 Greene 204,984 184,050 190,417 197,379 197,500 Grundy 7,037 6,509 6,862 6,693 6,763 Harrison 6,468 5,959 6,050 5,593 5,583 Henry 16,576 15,868 16,106 16,285 15,937 Hickory 6,963 6,751 7,030 7,138 6,714 Holt 4,488 3,990 3,830 3,841 3,577 Howard 7,500 8,435 8,052 7,805 7,886 Howell 26,242 25,787 25,673 26,229 26,801 Iron 7,266 6,773 7,180 7,143 7,035 Jackson 236,269 228,673 244,570 245,295 246,737 Jasper 80,344 75,549 78,612 76,247 78,268 Jefferson 156,770 141,066 146,316 143,343 148,086 598 OFFICIAL MANUAL COUNTY 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 Johnson 29,547 28,739 31,290 32,747 33,224 Kansas City 244,068 235,459 230,897 227,649 221,355 Knox 3,067 2,955 2,926 2,843 2,879 Laclede 20,445 21,733 22,935 23,560 23,376 Lafayette 23,253 22,773 22,986 23,655 24,140 Lawrence 24,845 22,937 23,964 24,134 24,058 Lewis 7,292 6,790 6,793 6,920 6,659 Lincoln 29,254 30,494 33,411 34,090 34,780 Linn 11,595 9,023 8,943 9,079 8,896 Livingston 9,520 9,000 9,582 9,591 9,597 Macon 10,721 10,581 10,871 10,627 10,659 Madison 9,934 8,364 8,377 7,729 7,616 Maries 6,115 6,838 6,622 6,449 6,595 Marion 19,321 19,056 19,005 18,883 19,274 McDonald 12,888 14,725 13,140 13,617 12,993 Mercer 2,633 2,669 2,768 2,764 2,565 Miller 16,986 16,527 17,514 17,279 17,654 Mississippi 9,299 8,144 8,691 8,454 8,677 Moniteau 9,543 9,281 9,404 9,397 9,469 Monroe 6,455 6,275 6,238 6,087 5,972 Montgomery 8,363 8,129 8,457 8,190 8,259 Morgan 14,469 12,703 12,936 12,941 12,836 New Madrid 12,706 11,883 12,660 13,249 13,119 Newton 40,620 38,250 38,791 38,877 40,092 Nodaway 15,360 12,714 14,127 14,098 13,807 Oregon 7,131 6,660 7,045 7,458 7,356 Osage 9,444 9,011 9,215 9,382 9,552 Ozark 8,472 7,817 7,476 7,482 7,011 Pemiscot 20,076 12,214 12,275 13,376 12,013 Perry 11,534 12,016 12,446 12,803 12,398 Pettis 27,406 27,059 28,137 25,420 25,909 Phelps 25,888 25,861 27,387 27,617 28,576 Pike 12,912 11,675 11,724 11,481 11,396 Platte 68,435 58,513 62,658 62,570 64,619 Polk 18,393 18,142 19,899 19,450 20,090 Pulaski 21,534 18,581 20,800 22,782 22,265 Putnam 4,220 3,858 3,936 4,038 3,728 Ralls 8,244 7,969 7,942 7,509 7,413 Randolph 15,725 14,518 15,485 15,617 15,753 Ray 15,528 17,896 16,226 14,539 17,826 Reynolds 7,823 6,620 6,223 6,170 5,375 Ripley 9,250 9,055 9,080 9,259 9,349 St.