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Cities in Missouri
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Top 100 cities by population |
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of elections in the 100 largest cities in America by population and the largest counties that overlap those cities. This encompasses all city, county, judicial, school district, and special district offices appearing on the ballot within those cities. Ballotpedia also covers mayors, city councils, and district attorneys in all state capitals.
This page includes the following resources:
- The city governments covered by Ballotpedia in Missouri
- An overview of local elections in Missouri
- An overview of the initiative process in Missouri
Cities
City government
Click the links in the table below for information about the cities in Ballotpedia's coverage scope and the county governments that overlap those cities:
| City | County |
|---|---|
| Jefferson City | Callaway County, Cole County |
| Kansas City | Clay County, Jackson County, Platte County |
| St. Louis | Independent city |
According to a 2022 study from the U.S. Census Bureau, this state's local governments consist of 114 counties, 1,226 cities, towns, and villages, and 1,927 special districts. St. Louis operates as an independent city.[1]
Elections
Click the links below for information about the elections held in each municipality. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of municipalities that held elections each year in this state; click here to learn more about Ballotpedia's local government coverage scope.
2025
- Jefferson City, Missouri - Prosecutor and city council
- St. Louis, Missouri - Mayor, comptroller, board of aldermen, and community college board
- Missouri school board elections
2024
- Jefferson City, Missouri - City council
- St. Louis, Missouri - Community college board, circuit court judges, circuit attorney, sheriff, and treasurer
- Clay County, Missouri - Assessor, sheriff, county commission, metropolitan community college district, circuit court judges, and associate circuit court judges
- Jackson County, Missouri - Prosecutor, sheriff, metropolitan community college district, circuit court judges, and associate judges
- Platte County, Missouri - Assessor, public administrator, sheriff, treasurer, county commission, metropolitan community college district, circuit court judges, and associate circuit court judges
- Missouri school board elections
2023
- Jefferson City, Missouri - Mayor, city council, and city prosecutor
- Kansas City, Missouri - Mayor, city council, and municipal court
- St. Louis, Missouri - Board of aldermen and community college board
- Missouri school board elections
2022
- Jefferson City, Missouri - City council
- St. Louis, Missouri - Collector of revenue, license collector, recorder of deeds, community college board, and board of aldermen (special)
- Clay County, Missouri - Auditor, prosecuting attorney, county commission, community college board, and circuit court judges
- Jackson County, Missouri - County executive, county legislature, community college board, and circuit court judges and associate judges
- Platte County, Missouri - Auditor, clerk, presiding commissioner, prosecutor, recorder, tax collector, circuit court judges
- Missouri school board elections
2021
- Jefferson City, Missouri - City council and city prosecutor
- St. Louis, Missouri - Mayor, comptroller, and board of aldermen
- Missouri school board elections
2020
- St. Louis, Missouri - Circuit attorney, sheriff, treasurer, board of aldermen (special election), community college board, and circuit court and associate circuit court judges
- Clay County, Missouri - County commissioners, assessor, public administrator, sheriff, treasurer, and circuit court and associate circuit court judges
- Jackson County, Missouri - County prosecutor, sheriff, and circuit court and associate circuit court judges
- Platte County, Missouri - County commissioners, assessor, public administrator, sheriff, treasurer, and associate circuit court judges
- Missouri school board elections
Initiative process availability
The availability of initiative varies depending upon the classification, form of government, and home rule status of a city or county.
Counties
All four charter counties have initiative for charter amendments and county measures.[2][3][4][5]
Cities
Constitutional charter cities
The Missouri Constitution Article VI Section 20 mandates that charter cities allow initiative for charter amendments and may also adopt an initiative process for ordinances. The charters of the eight most populated cities (Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield, Independence, Columbia, Lee's Summit, St. Joseph, and St. Charles) all permit initiative. Signature requirements and filing deadlines vary by charter.
Third class cities
Third class cities with a commission or a council-manager form of government have an initiative process for ordinances provided by state statutes, Missouri Revised Statutes Section 78.200 for commission and Section 78.573 for council-manager. The main difference between the two statutes is the required percentage of signatures. A Missouri court recently questioned whether Section 78.573 requires an enabling city ordinance to be available to citizens, but did not reach a definite holding on the issue.[6]
Third class cities with a Mayor-Council and Mayor-Administrator-Council form of government are not granted initiative authority by state statutes.
Fourth class cities
Fourth class cities and villages are not granted initiative authority by state statutes.[7]
See also
| Missouri | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "2022 Census of Governments – Organization," accessed October 16, 2023
- ↑ Municipal League of metro St. Louis, "St. Louis County Charter," accessed July 15, 2021
- ↑ Jackson County, "Our Charter," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ St. Charles County, "County Charter and Ordinances," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Jefferson County, "Home Rule Charter of Jefferson County, Missouri," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Justia, "Rexroat v. City of Poplar Bluff, Case No. 1: 11CV00224 SNLJ(E.D. Mo., Jan. 27, 2012)," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Ballotpedia, "Types & #s of local government by state," September 2012
