MISSOURI VOTING and ELECTIONS Dard As Any Other Party to Remain Estab- Ing Places on Election Day
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CHAPTER 7 MISSOURI ELECTIONS Pat Bessinger (seated) visits a one room log cabin schoolhouse in Sunset Hills, MO on a fi eld trip with her daughter’s 3rd grade class in 1971. (photo courtesy of Joyce Franklin) 428 OFFICIAL MANUAL When and where do up a board of election commissioners Missourians register? (115.015 and 115.017, RSMo). An unregistered citizen may register Special voting provisions to vote in person during local election offi cials’ regular business hours, when Voters with disabilities and voters who Missouri renewing a Missouri driver’s license, are unable to vote because of absence when receiving services from a par- or illness may vote absentee. Persons ticipating state agency or by mailing the with permanent disabilities may apply local election authority. Special regis- for permanent absentee ballot status by Voting and tration sites may be available prior to applying with the local election authority major elections (sections 115.145 and (section 115.284, RSMo). Voters with 115.151, RSMo). disabilities may vote their ballots from Elections The deadline for registration is the their vehicles at curbside, or they may fourth Wednesday prior to an election be reassigned to a more accessible poll- (section 115.135, RSMo). ing place. Voters should contact local Who registers to vote in election offi cials about absentee fed- Missouri? When do Missourians vote? eral service balloting or “new resident” absentee ballots. Missouri residents may register to In general, the statutes require public When voting, Missourians must show vote if they are: citizens of the U.S., elections be held on the general Elec- an approved form of personal identifi ca- 17 years and 6 months of age or older tion Day, the primary Election Day, the tion (section 115.427, RSMo). Approved (may vote after reaching age 18) and general municipal Election Day, the fi rst identifi cation includes: not adjudged incapacitated. Residents Tuesday after the fi rst Monday in Feb- may be registered to vote but not be eli- ruary or November, or on another day 1. Identifi cation issued by the state gible to vote, if they are: confi ned under expressly provided by city or county of Missouri, an agency of the state, sentence of imprisonment, on probation charter, the fi rst Tuesday after the or a local election authority of the or parole after conviction of a felony fi rst Monday in June and in nonprimary state; until fi nally discharged or convicted of a years on the fi rst Tuesday after the fi rst 2.iIdentifi cation issued by the Unit- felony or misdemeanor connected with Monday in August (section 115.123.1, ed States government or agency the right of suffrage (sections 115.133 RSMo). thereof; and 115.135, RSMo). The general Election Day is the 3. identifi cation issued by an institu- fi rst Tuesday after the fi rst Monday in tion of higher education, including How do Missourians register? November in even-numbered years. The a university, college, vocational or primary Election Day is the fi rst Tuesday Qualifi ed citizens may register in per- technical school, located within the after the fi rst Monday in August in even- son at the offi ce of their local election state of Missouri; numbered years (sections 115.121.1 authority, by mail, at the driver’s license and 115.121.2, RSMo). 4. a copy of a current utility bill, bank fee offi ce, participating state agencies statement, paycheck, government Elections for cities, towns, villages, and other public locations. Registration check or other government docu- school boards and special district offi cers in person is accomplished by fi lling out ment that contains the name and are held the fi rst Tuesday after the fi rst registration forms with information on address of the voter; identity, residence and qualifi cations, Monday in April each year, known as 5. driver’s license or state identi fi ca- which are signed and sworn to, then general municipal Election Day (section 115.121.3, RSMo). tion card issued by another state. witnessed by the election authority or a designee. The voter must present A statewide presidential preference If you do not possess any of these appropriate identifi cation such as a birth primary is held on the fi rst Tuesday forms of identifi cation, you may still certifi cate, a Native American tribal doc- after the fi rst Monday in February of cast a ballot if two supervising election ument, other proof of United States citi- each presidential election year (section judges, one from each major political zenship, a valid Missouri driver’s license 115.755, RSMo). party, attest they know you. or other form of personal identifi cation Elections may be held on other Tues- (sections 115.151, 115.155, 115.159, days for bond elections necessitated Elections and political parties 115.160, 115.161 and 115.162, RSMo). by fi re, vandalism or natural disaster, Missourians do not register under Registration by mail, at the driver’s where ownership of real property is party affi liation. Hence, at primary elec- license fee offi ce or at the participat- re quired by law for voting and for spe- tions, voters may choose which “estab- ing state agencies requires submission cial elections to fi ll vacancies (sections lished party” ballot they vote (section of a signed and sworn application with 115.123.2, RSMo). 115.397, RSMo). Party nominees and information on identity, residence and independent candidates are then listed qualifi cations. If mailed, this form must Who conducts registration on the general election ballot. be postmarked by the fourth Wednesday and elections? There are presently four “established preceding an election for the voter to Voter registration and the conduct political parties” statewide—the Demo- be eligible to vote in that election. The of elections are the responsibilities of cratic, Republican, Libertarian and Con- voter must include a copy of appropriate Missouri’s 116 local election authorities stitution parties. Persons may seek the identifi cation (see above). If the voter (election boards and county clerks). nomination of these parties for any does not submit such information, the Boards of election commissioners admin- elective offi ce from the county level and voter will be required to vote in person, ister elections in the counties of Clay, above. In order to become “established,” after presenting additional identifi cation, Jackson, Platte and St. Louis and in a party must have received more than for the fi rst time. The election author- the cities of Kansas City and St. Louis. two percent of the votes cast statewide ity must send a verifi cation of accep- The county clerk serves as the election for at least one of its candidates. New tance or rejection of registration within authority in all other counties of the parties are formed by petition and may seven working days (sections 115.155, state. In 2005, legislation was passed exist on the county, district or state 115.160 and 115.162, RSMo). giving Cass County the option of setting level. They must meet the same stan- 429 MISSOURI VOTING AND ELECTIONS dard as any other party to remain estab- ing places on Election Day. There are ties and civic organizations across the lished (section 115.317, RSMo). certain qualifi cations one must have in state, the secretary of state’s offi ce has At the time of primary elections, vot- order to work at the polls: You must be directed more than 5,000 volunteers to local election authorities to work at the ers select county committee members a registered voter; you must be able to speak, read and write English; you must polls on Election Day. of established parties in Missouri. Those not have a close relative that appears committee people have certain duties Poll workers are truly on the front on the current ballot; and you must not and responsibilities. They serve, as lines of democracy. Their work is criti- hold elective offi ce at the time of service. appropriate, as members of legislative, cal to protecting the integrity of our Poll workers are compensated for their senatorial, judicial and congressional elections and ensuring that the voting service on Election Day and are required process is fair and accurate. Individu- district committees (sections 115.609, to attend at least one training prior to als that are interested in signing up to 115.613 and 115.619, RSMo). County, Election Day for which they are compen- be a poll worker or would like more district or state committee members sated as well. information are encouraged to visit the may be called on to fi ll candidate vacan- Over 20,000 poll workers are needed secretary of state’s website, www.sos. cies on party ballots or to select nomi- mo.gov/pollworker or contact their local nees for special elections as needed. across Missouri to conduct a statewide election. As federal legislation imple- election authority (sections 115.079, The state committees are selected, indi- mented new changes to the nation’s 115.085, 115.101 and 115.103, www. rectly, by local committee persons. polling places, the secretary of state’s sos.mo.gov/pollworker). offi ce implemented a fi rst-ever state- Poll Workers in Missouri wide recruitment effort to enlist new Missouri’s local election authorities volunteers to work at the polls. Through are charged with staffi ng their poll- partnerships with businesses, universi- Registered voters in Missouri, 2002–2010 COUNTY 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010* Lafayette 20,522 23,253 22,773 22,986 23,655 *This is the number of registered voters from the Mis- Lawrence 22,787 24,845 22,937 23,964 24,134 souri Centralized Voter Registration list as of October 17–23, Lewis 6,951 7,292 6,790 6,793 6,920 Lincoln 27,554 29,254 30,494 33,411 34,090 2010.