Here's what you need to know as you prepare to vote on November 5. Next week the Voters' Guide will include interviews with the area candidates.
Voters to decide on six proposed Constitutional Amendments on November 5
BY GARY J. GROMAN, Independent Journalist
The following ballot measures have been certified for the November 5, 2024, general election. On the actual ballot, you will see either “CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT” followed by a number or “PROPOSITION” followed by a letter. Immediately under that, it will show whether it was proposed by “Initiative Petition” or by the “102nd General Assembly.”
In this article, after the verbiage CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT or PROPOSITION line, we have indicated in (parentheses and italicized type) our take on what it applies to. There is no similar information on the ballot and the “Fair Ballot Language” explaining each in this Article, although on the Missouri Secretary of State website at https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/petitions/2024BallotMeasures, does not appear on the ballot.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 2 (Sports Wagering)
Proposed by Initiative Petition
Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:
Allow the Missouri Gaming Commission to regulate licensed sports wagering including online sports betting, gambling boats, professional sports betting districts and mobile licenses to sports betting operators;
Restrict sports betting to individuals physically located in the state and over the age of 21;
Allow license fees prescribed by the Commission and a 10% wagering tax on revenues received to be appropriated for education after expenses incurred by the Commission and required funding of the Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund; and
Allow for the general assembly to enact laws consistent with this amendment.
State governmental entities estimate onetime costs of $660,000, ongoing annual costs of at least $5.2 million, and initial license fee revenue of $11.75 million. Because the proposal allows for deductions against sports gaming revenues, they estimate unknown tax revenue ranging from $0 to $28.9 million annually. Local governments estimate unknown revenue.
___ Yes
___ No
Fair Ballot Language. Does not appear on the ballot.
A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to permit licensed sports wagering regulated by the Missouri Gaming Commission and restrict sports betting to individuals physically located in the state and over the age of 21. The amendment includes a 10% wagering tax on revenues received to be appropriated for educational institutions in Missouri.
A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution regarding licensed regulated sports wagering.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 3 (Abortion Rights)
Proposed by Initiative Petition
Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:
Establish a right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, with any governmental interference of that right presumed invalid;
Remove Missouri’s ban on abortion;
Allow regulation of reproductive health care to improve or maintain the health of the patient;
Require the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding, and other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care; and
allow abortion to be restricted or banned after Fetal Viability except to protect the life or health of the woman?
State governmental entities estimate no costs or savings, but unknown impact. Local governmental entities estimate costs of at least $51,000 annually in reduced tax revenues. Opponents estimate a potentially significant loss to state revenue.
___ Yes
___ No
Fair Ballot Language. Does not appear on the ballot.
A “yes” vote establishes a constitutional right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, with any governmental interference of that right presumed invalid; removes Missouri’s ban on abortion; allows regulation of reproductive health care to improve or maintain the health of the patient; requires the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding, and other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care; and allows abortion to be restricted or banned after Fetal Viability except to protect the life or health of the woman.
A “no” vote will continue the statutory prohibition of abortion in Missouri.
If passed, this measure may reduce local taxes while the impact to state taxes is unknown.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 5 (New casino near Lake of the Ozarks)
Proposed by Initiative Petition
Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to:
Allow the Missouri Gaming Commission to issue one additional gambling boat license to operate on the portion of the Osage River from the Missouri River to the Bagnell Dam;
Require the prescribed location shall include artificial spaces that contain water and are within 500 feet of the 100-year base flood elevation as established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and
Require all state revenues derived from the issuance of the gambling boat license shall be appropriated to early-childhood literacy programs in public institutions of elementary education?
State governmental entities estimate one-time costs of $763,000, ongoing costs of $2.2 million annually, initial fee revenue of $271,000, ongoing admission and other fee revenue of $2.1 million annually, and annual gaming tax revenue of $14.3 million. Local governments estimate unknown revenue.
___ Yes
___ No
Fair Ballot Language. Does not appear on the ballot.
A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to allow the Missouri Gaming Commission to issue an additional gambling boat license to operate an excursion gambling boat on the Osage River, between the Missouri River and the Bagnell Dam. All state revenue derived from the issuance of the gambling boat license shall be appropriated to early-childhood literacy programs in public institutions of elementary education.
A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution regarding gambling boat licensure.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 6 (Using Court Costs and fees to pay promised benefits to law enforcement personnel.)
Proposed by 102nd General Assembly
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that the administration of justice shall include the levying of costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for certain current and former law enforcement personnel?
State and local governmental entities estimate an unknown fiscal impact.
___ Yes
___ No
Fair Ballot Language. Does not appear on the ballot.
A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to levy costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for current and former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys and circuit attorneys to ensure all Missourians have access to the courts of justice.
A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution to levy costs and fees related to current or former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys and circuit attorneys.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 7 (Allowing only U.S. Citizens to vote.)
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
Make the Constitution consistent with state law by only allowing citizens of the United States to vote;
Prohibit the ranking of candidates by limiting voters to a single vote per candidate or issue; and
Require the plurality winner of a political party primary to be the single candidate at a general election?
State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.
___ Yes
___ No
Fair Ballot Language. Does not appear on the ballot.
A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to specify that only United States citizens are entitled to vote, voters shall only have a single vote for each candidate or issue, restrict any type of ranking of candidates for a particular office and require the person receiving the greatest number of votes at the primary election as a party candidate for an office shall be the only candidate for that party at the general election, and require the person receiving the greatest number of votes for each office at the general election shall be declared the winner. This provision does not apply to any nonpartisan municipal election held in a city that had an ordinance in effect as of November 5, 2024, that requires a preliminary election at which more than one candidate advances to a subsequent election.
A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution to make any changes to how voters vote in primary and general elections.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
PROPOSITION A (Increasing the minimum wage.)
Proposed by Initiative Petition
Do you want to amend Missouri law to:
Increase minimum wage January 1, 2025, to $13.75 per hour, increasing $1.25 per hour each year until 2026, when the minimum wage would be $15.00 per hour;
Adjust minimum wage based on changes in the Consumer Price Index each January beginning in 2027;
Require all employers to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty hours worked;
Allow the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to provide oversight and enforcement; and
Exempt governmental entities, political subdivisions, school districts and education institutions?
State governmental entities estimate one-time costs ranging from $0 to $53,000 and ongoing costs ranging from $0 to at least $256,000 per year by 2027. State and local government tax revenue could change by an unknown annual amount depending on business decisions.
___ Yes
___ No
Fair Ballot Language:
A “yes” vote will amend Missouri statutes to increase the state minimum wage beginning January 1, 2025 to $13.75 per hour and increase the hourly rate $1.25, to $15.00 per hour beginning January 2026. Annually the minimum wage will be adjusted based on the Consumer Price Index. The law will require employers with fifteen or more employees to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty hours worked. The amendment will exempt governmental entities, political subdivisions, school districts and education institutions from the minimum wage increase.
A “no” vote will not amend Missouri law to make changes to the state minimum wage law.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
Before you go to the polls: Are you eligible to vote in Missouri?
Staff Reports
According to Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, if you’re registered to vote in Missouri, you can vote! But who can register to vote in the state?
Who can register to vote?
In Missouri, you must:
Be a citizen of the United States
Be a resident of Missouri
Be at least 17-1/2 years old (you must be 18 to cast a ballot)
Not be on probation or parole after conviction of a felony, until finally discharged from such probation or parole
Not be convicted of a felony or misdemeanor connected with the right of suffrage (voting)
Not be adjudged incapacitated by any court of law
Not be confined to prison
In Missouri, the deadline to register to vote was October 9. Did you register? You can check your status at https://voteroutreach.sos.mo.gov/portal/
When you get to the polls
You will need to show one of these forms of identification in order to get a ballot:
A nonexpired Missouri driver or non-griver license
A nonexpired military ID, including a veteran’s ID card
A nonexpired United States passport
Another photo ID issued by the United States or the state of Missouri
If you forget to bring one of these forms of ID with you to the polls but you are a registered voter, you can cast a provisional ballot. Be sure to return to the polling place before the polls close with an acceptable ID so your vote will count.
Need help getting a free photo ID?
If you do not possess an acceptable form of photo ID, you might be eligible for a free Missouri nondriver license for voting purposes.
The Missouri Department of Revenue, through the license offices throughout the state, provides one nondriver license at no charge to Missourians who wish to obtain a photo ID for voting purposes (and do not already have one).
Call 573-526-VOTE (8683) or visit https://dor.mo.gov/
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records, can provide one fee exempt copy of a certified Missouri birth certificate to an individual seeking to obtain one free nondriver’s license in order to vote in Missouri if the applicant does not already have a current nondriver’s license or current driver’s license.
Call (573) 751-6387 or email VitalRecordsInfo@health.mo.gov
The Missouri Secretary of State will help you obtain official documents needed to get a Missouri nondriver license. Examples include birth certificate; marriage license; adoption decree; U.S. Department of State naturalization papers; or court order changing one’s name. We will pay for official documents from other states or the federal government.
To get more help, call 866-868-3245 or email GoVoteMissouri@sos.mo.gov.
Voting locations in Stone County
ALPINE
VFW Post #2203
24204 State Hwy. 39, Shell Knob
CASS
Jamesville Baptist Church
213 Riverview Rd., Clever
FLAT CREEK A & B
Cape Fair Community Building
8627 W. State Hwy. 76, Cape Fair
GRANT
Morningstar Baptist Church
69 Butterfield Trail Rd., Marionville
HURLEY
Hurley City Hall
202 S. Walnut, Hurley
LINCOLN
K-RAC
36655 State Hwy. 413, Crane
McKinley/ Ponce De Leon
Galena - Abesville Preschool Room
54 Medical Springs Rd., Galena
PIERCE
Christian Church Community Center
104 E. Edgewood, Crane
PINE A
Blue Eye Lions Club Community Building
138 State Hwy. EE, Blue Eye
PINE B
Sourth Road & Bridge Shop
203 County Shop Rd., Lampe
RUTH A
Reeds Spring High School Band Room
20277 State Hwy. 413, Reeds Spring
RUTH B CITY
Kimberling Area Library
45 Kimberling Blvd., Kimberling City
RUTH B RURAL
St. Andrew Presbyterian Church
30 James River Rd., Kimberling City
RUTH C
Ignite Church
19585 State Hwy. 413, Branson West
RUTH C RURAL/SUNSET COVE
Indian Point Municipal Center
957 Indian Point Rd., Branson
UNION
Union City Community Church
3886 State Hwy. K, Billings
WASHINGTON
Stone County Library
322 State Hwy. 248, Galena
WILLIAMS
Shell Knob Shrine Club
28149 Big Rock Rd., Shell Knob
Voting locations in Taney County
BOSTON CENTER
Boston Center Community Building
7829 State Hwy. 248, Branson
BRADLEYVILLE
Bradleyville School
16474 N. State Hwy. 125, Bradleyville
BRANSON 1
Branson Community Building
201 Compton Dr., Branson
BRANSON 2
First Presbyterian Church
420 W. Main St., Branson
BRANSON 3
United Methodist Church
1208 76 Country Blvd., Branson
CEDARCREEK
Cedarcreek Fire Department
6981 State Hwy. M, Cedarcreek
Falls Parkway
Freedom Encounter Theatre
3220 Falls Pkwy., Branson
FORSYTH 1
Forsyth Municipal Building
15405 US Hwy. 160, Forsyth
FORSYTH 2
Forsyth First Baptist Church
10000 E. State Hwy. 76, Forsyth
FORSYTH/TANEYVILLE
New Vision Baptist Church
179 Church Camp Rd., Taneyville
HOLLISTER 1
New Beginnings Fellowship Church
151 Elm St., Hollister
HOLLISTER 2
Hollister Middle School
1798 State Hwy. BB, Hollister
HOLLISTER 3
Oakmont Community Building
2308 State Hwy. 86, Ridgedale
KIRBYVILLE
Taney County Regional Sewer District
6733 E. State Hwy. 76, Kirbyville
MARK TWAIN
Mark Twain School
37707 US Hwy. 160, Rueter
MERRIAM WOODS
Del Showers Community Building
4385 State Hwy. 176, Merriam Woods
MT. BRANSON
Tantone Industries
1629 E. State Hwy. 76, Branson
NORTH BRANSON
Branson High SChool Activity Center
935 Buchanan Rd., Branson
ROCKAWAY BEACH
Bridge of Faith Community Church
296 Lake St., Rockaway Beach
WALNUT SHADE
Brookside Church
10123 US Hwy. 160, Merriam Woods
CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION:
Vote wisely: Demand honesty and integrity
BY RAMSEY SOLUTIONS
By this point in an election year, you might find yourself overwhelmed by politics—the advertisements, the polls, the news coverage. With all that noise, it’s easy for folks to come up with excuses for not voting — “America is too divided,” or “I can’t get behind any of the candidates,” or “My vote doesn’t even matter.”
Maybe those excuses are starting to sound pretty reasonable to you now. But as best-selling author and speaker Andy Andrews pointed out in an interview with Dave, if we are concerned at all about our country and its future, we must pay attention to the election and use our votes wisely.
We all agree: Our leaders should be honest
We’ve all watched America get meaner and meaner. We’ve watched Republicans and Democrats yell at each other, and no one’s changed anyone’s mind. But ask anyone, rich or poor, black or white, old or young, “Do you think it’s okay for politicians to lie, or should they tell the truth?” Every single person you talk to will say our leaders should tell the truth.
“So the question in this election is not who is going to lead us, but what are our standards for being led?” Andrews asked in a recent visit to The Dave Ramsey Show. “Speaking the truth should be the least we require of our elected leaders,” he added. “It won’t solve all our problems, but it is a beginning.”
Demand integrity with your vote
“America is a ship headed for an iceberg,” Andrews warned. “People everywhere, regardless of their political views, can sense it. We may not have candidates in this election who can turn the ship around. But right now, we better vote for somebody who is going to shift our direction and avoid the iceberg.”
This isn’t about Republican versus Democrat. It’s about demanding honesty and integrity from our leadership—and rewarding that integrity with our votes. That’s how we will elect leaders who will have the fortitude to make the hard decisions that must be made to change course.
Your vote can change our direction
As our nation celebrated its 100th birthday, President James A. Garfield said, “Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. If [one hundred years from now] our next centennial does not find us a great nation… it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.”
In short, if you want leadership with integrity, then stop trusting people who lie “for our own good.” “We can change the direction of our country,” Andrews said. “But only if smart people will get involved in the election process and actually vote.”
Voting is one key way to help turn this country around.
How voting before Election Day became so widespread and so political
Apnews.com | Robert Yoon
Voters had plenty to argue about in the 1972 election, but they overwhelmingly agreed that when it came time to vote, they would do so in person on Election Day.
The act of voting was largely a communal experience that year, when roughly 95% of voters went to their local polling places and completed and submitted their ballots in person on a single day, according to a census survey at the time.
That number would fall gradually over the next 50 years as states provided Americans with more options on how and when to vote.
By 2022, only about half of the electorate voted at the polls on Election Day. The share of people voting before Election Day spiked to more than 70% in 2020, and votes cast by mail surpassed those cast on Election Day for the first time ever. That year, many states enacted emergency measures to temporarily expand vote-by-mail options to protect voters from the spread of COVID-19.
“We’ve been on an upward trend of early voting over time as more states have adopted early voting options and voters have embraced them,” said University of Florida political science professor Michael McDonald, who tracks voter turnout and early voting. “That’s resulted in a greater share of early votes being cast each election cycle.”
For most of that time, advance voting was a nonpartisan feature of elections, but a deep chasm formed between the parties on advance voting during and since the 2020 presidential election.
Voting before Election Day is much more common today than it was roughly 50 years ago. Yet it is highly politicized as voting in the 2024 presidential election is already underway.
What is advance voting?
Advance voting refers to the range of options that people have to vote before Election Day, whether by mail or in person at an election facility.
The term “early voting” can refer collectively to all voting that takes place before Election Day. Sometimes it refers explicitly to votes cast in person at local election offices or voting centers before Election Day.
To avoid confusion, The Associated Press generally uses terms like “advance voting” or “pre-Election Day voting” to refer to that broader category and “early in-person voting” for the narrower one. “Absentee voting” usually refers to ballots cast by mail.
What are the different types of advance voting?
Voting before Election Day includes both voting by mail and in-person voting conducted before Election Day.
Early in-person voting tends to mimic the experience of voting in person on Election Day, down to the type of voting equipment used and the locations serving as voting centers. The main difference is that the voting is conducted before Election Day. The length of early in-person voting periods varies by state.
Mail voting can be further divided into at least two smaller categories: “no-excuse absentee voting,” where any voter may request a mail ballot for any reason, and “excuse-required absentee voting,” where only voters with a valid excuse as to why they cannot vote in person on Election Day may vote by mail.
Requiring an excuse to vote absentee, such as travel or illness, used to be the norm in most states. Today, a shrinking handful of states still require voters to provide an authorized excuse.
A third category of mail voting is a hybrid of mail voting and early in-person voting: in-person absentee voting, where a voter submits (and sometimes fills out) a mail ballot in person at an elections office.
A small but growing number of states conduct their elections predominantly by mail. Those states, plus a few others and the District of Columbia, automatically send every registered voter a ballot.
When did advance voting begin?
Variations of absentee voting and voting over multiple days have been part of American elections since the nation’s founding. Today’s system of mail voting and early in-person voting took root more than a century ago. In 1921, Louisiana paved the way for a formalized early in-person voting system when its constitution specified that “the Legislature may provide a method by which absentee voting will be permitted other than by mail.”
Voting by mail is even older, but relatively few voters were allowed to take advantage of it as of 1972. Just two years later, Washington became the first state in the nation to allow any voter to request a mail ballot for any reason.
By 2005, more than half the states adopted no-excuse absentee voting. Today, only Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire provide neither early in-person voting nor no-excuse absentee voting.
Does one political party use advance voting more than the other?
Yes, but it wasn’t always that way.
Voting before Election Day steadily grew more popular in both Democratic and Republican-controlled states after 1972. Although there was a partisan split in some states that sometimes varied from election to election, polling from Gallup shows that nationwide there was little partisan divide on advance voting between 2004 and 2016. But the survey showed that voters’ plans to use early voting sharply diverged along party lines in the 2020 presidential election.
AP’s VoteCast survey of the 2020 electorate found a similar result, with additional details on how the choice of voting method divided the electorate. About two-thirds of the votes cast by mail in that election were for Democrat Joe Biden, compared with about one-third for Republican President Donald Trump. In contrast, Trump won about two-thirds of the in-person Election Day vote, compared with about one-third for Biden.
When it came to early in-person voting, there was a near-even split, with Trump having only the slightest advantage.
Biden overperformed among those casting votes before Election Day, especially among mail-in voters, even in many states that Trump won by a wide margin, VoteCast showed.
“This is just an across-the-board, national phenomenon,” McDonald said.
These patterns continued in the 2022 midterm elections, with Democrats accounting for the bulk of the mail vote, Republicans casting most of the Election Day vote and Republicans holding a small advantage in early in-person voting.
McDonald noted that party behavior on pre-Election Day voting was, if anything, the opposite before 2020.
“People who voted by mail tended to be more Republican than the people who voted in-person early,” he said, but those patterns “were suddenly turned upside down” during the pandemic.
What led to the partisan split in advance voting?
During the 2020 election, Trump repeatedly disparaged, politicized and undermined mail voting, going as far as to block funding to the U.S. Postal Service to thwart its ability to process mail ballots he claimed without evidence were susceptible to widespread tampering.
Trump’s messaging on mail balloting has been somewhat inconsistent. At times he has said “absentee voting” is “ good. ” But he also has claimed that mail voting is ripe for fraud, something not borne out by decades of mail voting conducted in every state. Trump himself has cast mail ballots on multiple occasions, including in the 2020 primaries.
Trump’s rhetoric seems to have taken a toll on Republican confidence in mail voting. An AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in 2023 found that 58% of Republicans were not very or not at all confident that mail votes would be counted accurately, compared with 32% in 2018. Among Democrats, confidence in the counting of mail ballots increased, from 28% saying they were very or extremely confident in 2018 to 52% in 2023.
What will advance voting look like in 2024?
“We need to wait and see how 2024 plays out before we make definitive statements about what the early voting is telling us” about the election, McDonald said.
Absentee voting in some states began as early as mid-September, and more than half the states had begun some type of voting by Oct. 1.