Missouri’s primary election is Tuesday, August 4 — less than two weeks out — and no-excuse absentee voting is already underway. If you haven’t thought about the ballot yet, here’s what’s actually on it around here.
Every ballot: four amendments
No matter which county you’re in, every Missouri voter will see the same four statewide constitutional amendments, according to the Missouri Secretary of State’s office:
- Amendment 1 — extends, for another 10 years, the one-tenth-of-one-percent sales tax that funds soil and water conservation and the state park system.
- Amendment 2 — requires all charter counties to elect their county assessor, rather than appoint one.
- Amendment 4 — raises the bar for future citizen initiative petitions to amend the constitution.
- Amendment 5 — a proposal advancing Missouri toward phasing out the state individual income tax. A Cole County judge ruled in June to keep it on the ballot after a legal challenge.
Boone County
Beyond the amendments, Boone County voters will find a full slate of county races on the ballot, per the Boone County Clerk’s office: Associate Circuit Judge (Divisions 5, 9, 10 and 11), Presiding Commissioner, County Auditor, Circuit Clerk, County Clerk, County Collector, Prosecuting Attorney, Recorder of Deeds, party committeeman/committeewoman seats, and a seat on the Boone Hospital Board of Trustees.
Howard County
Howard County runs the primary the same way every county does it: you’ll be asked which party’s ballot you want — Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, or nonpartisan — and from that point on you’ll only see the races that party’s candidates filed for, per the Howard County Clerk’s office. It’s worth looking at a sample ballot ahead of time so you know your candidate is actually on the ballot you’re about to ask for. Questions can go to the Clerk’s office in Fayette at (660) 248-2284.
Cooper County
Cooper County’s race list isn’t posted in as much detail online — the county’s official presence is limited, so the most reliable way to see exactly what’s on your Cooper County ballot is to call or visit the County Clerk’s office directly rather than rely on a search engine.
Absentee voting is already open
No-excuse absentee (early) voting began this week and runs through Monday, August 3, with several in-person locations in Boone County beyond the regular Boone County Government Center hours, including weekend stops at the Columbia Mall, Douglass High School, and the Southern Boone and Centralia public libraries, according to ABC 17 News. Bring a photo ID — a Missouri driver’s or non-driver’s license, U.S. passport, or military ID all work.
However you vote, the surest way to know exactly what’s on your ballot is to pull up your own sample ballot through your county clerk’s office before you go.
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