Frequently Asked Questions About Elections

While there is Federal law, most election law is determined by state law. In Missouri, the Secretary of State is the “chief election official”.

To learn more about Missouri Election Law, visit the Missouri Revised Statutes site, Chapter 115, which addresses Election Law or the Missouri Secretary of State website.

A partisan election is one in which party labels appear on the ballot. A non-partisan municipal election does not permit party labels to appear on the ballot.

In a party primary, you must tell your election judge which party’s ballot you wish to take into the voting booth. You will receive a ballot formatted so that you may only select candidates from that party. However, you may still vote on any and all issues, and any non-partisan candidates.

Governing entities “certify” to the Election Board what information is to be included on a ballot for voters. These entities include the State of Missouri, Jackson County, the Cities, Towns and Villages, and the School, Water, Fire and Sewer Districts in our jurisdiction.

Statewide issues may be placed on the ballot by initiative petition or referendum.

Preceding a partisan General Election, a Primary Election is to allow voters to select a person out of a number of contenders to represent a party in the general election. Thus, voters are required at the polls to state which party ballot they wish to vote. In a non-partisan primary election, the two candidates who receive the most votes will be the contenders in the general election.

Click HERE to view the calendar of days reserved for elections in the current year. However, holding an election on any of those dates is determined by authorized entities, i.e. Cities, School, Fire, Water, and Sewer Districts, County, and State.

Contact our office in the 10-week period prior to an election date to determine if there are ballot issues for your voting precinct. Check our website at https://www.jcebmo.org in the 6-week period prior to the election for a list of candidates and issues.

The Electoral College elects the President of the United States. The state’s number of Congressional and Senatorial seats determines the number of electors from each state.

Visit the Electoral College website for more information.