VOTE TUESDAY

Tuesday, Aug. 6, is primary election day in Missouri.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. If that’s inconvenient, you have until 5 p.m. Monday to vote absentee at the Jasper County Clerk’s Office in Carthage or Joplin. 

A number of Jasper County positions will be decided even though it’s just the primary election because they’ll have no opposing candidates in the November election.

The are two open positions because Western District Commissioner Darieus Adams and Treasurer Denise Rohr are not seeking reelection.

Associate Judge Joe Hensley is a candidate for Circuit Judge Division I. Presiding Judge Gayle Crane is not seeking another term.

Sheriff Randee Kaiser is challenged by Ethan Snow, and Coroner James Harrison is challenged by John Held III.

The Kansas City Star and KC Media Cololective have prepared a voting guide for statewide races.

Constitutional amendments

Two Missouri constitutional amendments appear on all ballots this year.

Amendment 1 would exempt child care providers, outside of the child’s home, from property taxes. Its ballot summary says the amendment is meant to make child care more available.

Most of its financial impact would be on local governments. The state’s Blind Pension Fund could also lose $400,000.

Missouri is also redoing a vote about police funding after a judge ruled that part of the ballot summary voters saw in 2022 was misleading. The previous ballot summary said there would be no fiscal impact. In a lawsuit, Kansas City said that wasn’t true.

Amendment 4 would allow the legislature to increase minimum funding for a state-run police department.

If approved, it would clear the way for a 2022 law requiring Kansas City — which has the only police department controlled by the state — to spend 25% of its general revenue on police, up from 20% currently required.

A ballot summary says it would cost Kansas City about $38.7 million per year, although the city has provided that funding voluntarily in the past.

The legislature is normally not allowed to tell local governments to spend money without providing the funding, so the law needs voter approval through a change to the constitution.