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Dorri Partain
Managing Editor
Yard signs and billboards for candidates went up earlier this year, but voters may not understand which they may be voting for in smaller races such the Missouri General Assembly.
Statewide, Missouri House of Representatives and Senate districts are based on population within a defined district. The Missouri State Constitution states: “Districts shall be as nearly equal as possible in population, and shall be drawn on the basis of one person, one vote” (Article III, Section 3, No.1). Section 3 also states that population numbers may vary up to 3% per district to keep communities intact.
Districts are redrawn every 10 years based on census numbers, so all House and Senate district borders were adjusted in 2022.
The Missouri General Assembly is composed of 163 members of the House of Representatives and 34 Senate members. Due to the density of Jackson County, there are 18 House and four Senate districts — multiply those candidates just within our county — and it’s easy to see why voters may not know exactly which candidate names will appear on their ballot come election day.
Within the undefined boundaries of “Historic Northeast” lay two House of Representative districts, 19 and 23. The majority of Northeast is District 19, but a small portion falls within District 23. Representatives may serve four, 2-year terms, so current representative Ingrid Burnett’s seat is up for grabs. Candidates for District 19 are Wick Thomas (Democrat) and Karen Spalding (Republican) —both previous candidates for this seat.
District 23 is currently represented by Michael Johnson (Democrat), elected in 2020 and 2022. Johnson is seeking re-election and facing Republican opponent, Daniel P. Contreras.
Jackson County is broken into four Missouri Senate Districts and lines for Districts 7, 9 and 11 segment representation in Historic Northeast.
Candidates for District 7 are Republican Joey Lasalle in his first bid for public office and Democrat Patty Lewis. Since 2021, Lewis has served as District 25 representative in the Missouri House.
In District 9, the candidates are Republican Derron Black, who has previously vied for public office unsuccessfully and Democrat Barbara Washington, currently serving as senator for this district as well as previously serving in the Missouri House.
Senate candidates in District 11 are Republican Joe Nicola in his first campaign for public office, and Democrat Robert Sauls — a current member of the Missouri House of Representatives District 21.
While the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners (KCEB) posts a Sample Ballot at each polling location, the savvy voter should be aware of which districts — House and Senate — they reside before heading to the polls. District maps can be confusing as they only show major roadways and don’t define where district lines zig and zag — so how does a voter find out which candidates they’re voting for?
Finding this information is as easy as logging onto the election board website (kceb.org) and entering some basic information.
On the website, click on Check Voter Status, then enter your last name as it appears on your Voter Registration card. Enter your birthdate and your Ward, Precinct and polling location appears. Then click on View Sample Ballot and each candidate and issue you’ll be voting on during the Nov. 5 election appears in a sample ballot format.
This information is posted two weeks prior to any election date throughout the year and is available in a format viewable on mobile devices. For voters without internet access, KCEB advises voters to seek assistance at their local library branch.
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