Missouri's primary election is Tuesday. Here's what to know about ballots, predictions (2024)

Greta CrossSpringfield News-Leader

In just a few days, Missouri voters will visit the polls to determine who will appear on the November ballot.

Missouri's primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 6. This election trims down the candidates to determine which will appear as the nominees for the Republican and Democratic parties in the November general election. There are several stacked races at the federal, state and local levels.

The 2024 election cycle has been anything but ordinary. In May, former President Donald Trump, who be the Republican presidential nominee in November, was found guilty on 34 counts in his New York hush money trial. Just two months later, the presidential candidate survived an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Sustaining an injury to his right ear, Trump was back at it for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee only days later.

Just eight days after the Trump shooting, President Joe Biden, who up until that point expressed an interest in running for reelection in November, announced an end to his campaign. Though an official candidate for the Democratic Party won't be determined until the Democratic National Convention in late August, Biden quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who has already begun campaigning across the country.

Despite the political whiplash at the national level, Daniel Ponder, a political science professor at Drury University, said he anticipates Biden's actions will have little impact on Missouri's primary election.

"I don't know if there will be much of an impact, only because Missouri has become so red in the last few election cycles," Ponder said. "You could argue that it might invigorate Democratic voters because a lot of people, especially younger voters, were not feeling great about the president and his age and all of the things that have been swirling around for awhile."

When it comes to Republican voters, Ponder doesn't expect much dialogue to change. But he did note that this year's election cycle has been more charged among Republican candidates than in years past.

"The candidates have to try to do something that puts daylight between them and the other candidates who are also of that same party," he explained. "With Trump winning so heavily here in the past, you really see these candidates trying to establish themselves as the most 'Trumpian.'"

Ponder said he's noticed this especially in campaign advertisem*nts, some of which have depicted candidates wielding assault rifles or burning a stack of library books with a flamethrower as they seek to draw voters' attention.

When are polls open in Missouri?

All Missouri voters are required to show an appropriate photo ID at their assigned polling location.

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. If you are in line at 7 p.m. when the polls close, you are still allowed to vote if you stay in line.

Who's on the ballot?

Here are the candidates running to represent Missouri in federal offices:

U.S. Senator: Josh Hawley (R), Karla May (D), December L. Harmon (D), Lucas Kunce (D), Mita Biswas (D), W. C. Young (L), and Jared Young (Better Party/Independent)
U.S. House 7th District: Camille Lombardi-Olive (R), Audrey Richards (R), Eric Burlison (R), John Adair (R), Missi Hesketh (D), and Kevin Craig (L)
U.S. House 4th District: Mark Alford (R), Jeanette Cass (D), Mike McCafree (D), and Thomas Holbrook (L)

More: Josh Hawley's Senate seat is up for election. Here's who's running

More: Missouri Congressman Eric Burlison faces primary election challengers. What to know

Here are the candidates running for statewide offices:

Governor: Darrell Leon McClanahan III (R), Jeremy Gundel (R), Bill Eigel (R), Robert James Olson (R), Jay Ashcroft (R), Mike Kehoe (R), Chris Wright (R), Darren L. Grant (R), Amber Thomsen (R); Eric Morrison (D), Crystal Quade (D), Sheryl Gladney (D), Hollis, L. Laster (D), Mike Hamra (D); and Bill Slantz (L)

More: These 9 Republican candidates are running for Missouri governor

More: These 5 Democrats are vying for Missouri governor in primary election

Lieutenant Governor: Holly Rehder (R), Dave Wasinger (R), Lincoln Hough (R), Paul Berry III (R), Tim Baker (R), Matthew E. Porter (R); Richard Brown (D), Anastasia Syes (D); and Ken Iverson (L)

More: These 8 candidates are running for lieutenant governor in Missouri

Secretary of State: Valentina Gomez (R), Shane Schoeller (R), Denny Hoskins (R), Adam J. Schwadron (R), Jamie Corley (R), Dean Plocher (R), Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R), Mike Carter (R); Monique Williams (D), Barbara Phifer (D), Haley Jacobson (D); and Carl Herman Freese (L)

What statewide ballot measures are on the ballot?

Schoeller's largest piece of advice for voters is to "study the ballot," familiarizing themselves not only with who is on the ballot but what is.

Amendment 1, Childcare Tax Exemption: This ballot measure asks voters whether the state should allow places that provide childcare outside of the child's home to be exempt from property taxes. A "yes" would exempt property taxes while a "no" would mean childcare facilities continue to be assessed and have to pay property taxes.

More: Access news, today's paper anywhere you go with the Springfield News-Leader app

Amendment 4, Kansas City Police Spending: Also on the ballot will be a question regarding Kansas City's spending on its police department, the only city in the state that does not have local control of its police department and is instead controlled by a Board of Police Commissioners appointed by the governor.

The ballot measure asks voters whether Kansas City should be required to increase the minimum funding for the police department from 20% of its general revenue to 25%, roughly an increase of $38.7 million. The ballot language notes that the city previously provided the 25% level of funding voluntarily.

This question already appeared and received voter support in 2022, but the Missouri Supreme Court ordered a new election for the question after Kansas City's mayor challenged the ballot language that said that "state and local governmental entities estimate no additional costs or savings related to this proposal."

Greta Cross is the trending topicsreporter for the SpringfieldNews-Leader. She has more than five years of journalism experience covering everything from Ozarks history to Springfield’s LGBTQIA+ community. Follow her onX and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@news-leader.com.

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