Voters decide national, statewide and local issues Tuesday

By NewsPress Now

The polls are open and high turnout is expected today as voters choose the next president, elect candidates to state and local offices and make decisions on several ballot initiatives. 

In Buchanan County, polls will be open until 7 p.m. Tuesday. Many voting locations were busy Tuesday morning, and County Clerk Mary Baack-Garvey said she expects a turnout of about 75%.

Voters need to show a government-issued photo ID to receive a ballot. This can include a Missouri driver’s or non-driver’s license, passport or military ID. 

Baack-Garvey also reminds voters that hats, buttons, shirts or other items supporting any candidate or cause can’t be worn or brought to polling locations. Those supporting a candidate or issue must also be at least 25 feet from the entrance.

While the tight presidential election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is driving turnout, several other decisions face voters at the ballot box.

At the national level, just over a third of U.S. Senate seats are up for election, including one in Missouri. Incumbent Josh Hawley, a Republican completing his first term, faces Democrat Lucas Kunce, a Marine Corps veteran. Nathan Kline of the Green Party, Jared Young of the Better Party and W.C. Young, a Libertarian, also are in that race.

All of the U.S. House seats are in play, with North Missourians voting in the state’s District 6 election. Republican incumbent Sam Graves is seeking his 12th term in Congress with St. Joseph’s Pam May, a Democrat, Libertarian Andy Maidment and Mike Diel of the Green Party challenging him.

In Missouri, voters will choose a new governor with Mike Parson deciding not to run for a new term. Lieutenant governor Mike Kehoe, a Republican, faces Crystal Quade who has served as Democratic leader of the Missouri House of Representatives since 2019. Paul Lehmann of the Green Party and Libertarian Bill Slantz also are running for governor.

Lieutenant governor candidates are Democrat Richard Brown, Republican Dave Wasinger, Libertarian Ken Iverson and Danielle (Dani) Elliott of the Green Party.

Running for Secretary of State are Denny Hoskins, a Republican, Barbara Phifer, a Democrat, Libertarian Carl Herman Freese and Jerome Bauer of the Green Party.

The State Treasurer’s race includes incumbent Republican Vivek Malek, Democrat Mark Osmack, Libertarian John A. Hartwig Jr. and Reagn Haase of the Green Party.

Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, is seeking to hold his seat against Democrat Elad Jonathan Gross and Libertarian Ryan L. Munro.

Two state representative seats are up for grabs in Buchanan County. In District 10, Republican Bill Falkner, who has served as a state representative since 2019 following eight years as St. Joseph’s mayor, faces Andrew Gibson, a Democrat who is a forklift operator and union steward at National Beef Leathers. 

Candidates for the District 13 seat, which represents the southern half of the county and northern Platte County, are Sean Pouche, a Republican who has served two terms in the House of Representatives and Democrat Andrea Denning who owns Denning Stained Glass in Platte City.

In Buchanan County’s only contested race, Democrat Ron Hook is seeking to hold on to his seat as Western District Commissioner, a job he’s had since 2009. Everett Goddard Jr., a Republican who owns Rusty Hook Bait and Tackle and works as a subcontractor for the Navy with Intercon, is his challenger.

The following candidates face no opposition on the general election ballot:

Buchanan County

ASSESSOR: Dean Wilson, Republican

COUNTY COMMISSIONER – EASTERN: Scott Burnham, Republican

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR: Brad Haggard, Republican

SHERIFF: Bill Puett, Republican

TREASURER: David Gall, Republican

CIRCUIT JUDGE 5, DIVISION 1: Kate Schaefer, Republican

CIRCUIT JUDGE 5, DIVISION 3: Terry White, Republican

CIRCUIT JUDGE 5, DIVISION 4: Daniel F. Kellogg, Democrat

Northwest Missouri State Representatives

STATE REP. DISTRICT 1 Jeff Farnan, Republican

STATE REP. DISTRICT 2: Mazzie Christensen, Republican

STATE REP. DISTRICT 9: Dean Van Schoiack, Republican

STATE REP. DISTRICT 11: Brenda Shields, Republican

Several statewide initiatives also face Missouri voters. They are:

Amendment 2

Amendment 2 would allow licensed sports wagering regulated by the Missouri Gaming Commission and restrict sports betting to those physically located in Missouri and over the age of 21. The amendment includes a 10% wagering tax on revenues received to be appropriated for educational institutions in Missouri.

Amendment 3

Amendment 3 establishes a person’s constitutional right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, 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 against those providing or obtaining reproductive health care and allows abortion to be restricted or banned after fetal viability.

Amendment 5

Amendment 5 would allow the Missouri Gaming Commission to issue an additional license to operate an excursion gambling boat on the Osage River, between the Missouri River and the Bagnell Dam.

Amendment 6

Amendment 6 will levy costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for current and former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys and circuit attorneys.

Amendment 7

Amendment 7 would amend the Missouri Constitution to specify that only United States citizens are entitled to vote, restrict people to a single vote for each candidate or issue, restrict any type of ranking of candidates for a particular office and require that the person receiving the greatest number of votes in a party’s primary election be its only candidate for the general election and require the person receiving the greatest number at the general election be declared the winner. The amendment would not apply to nonpartisan municipal elections held in cities that already have an ordinance that requires a preliminary election at which more than one candidate advances to a subsequent election.

Proposition A

Proposition A would increase the state minimum wage to $13.75 an hour beginning Jan. 1, 2025, and to $15 in January 2026. The minimum wage would be adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index. Businesses with 15 or more employees also would have to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. Governmental entities, political subdivisions, school districts and education institutions would be exempt from the minimum wage increase.

News-Press NOW will bring you election updates and results throughout the day at newspressnow.com and over the air Tuesday at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on NBC 21 KNPG and CBS 30 KCJO, as well as 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. on FOX 26 KNPN.