Missouri Amendment 2, Require Election of Jackson County Assessor Amendment (2026)

Missouri Amendment 2
Election date November 3, 2026
Topic Local government officials and elections
Status On the ballot
Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment	Origin State legislature

Missouri Amendment 2, the Require Election of Jackson County Assessor Amendment, is on the ballot in Missouri as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 3, 2026.

A "yes" vote supports making the Jackson County Assessor an elected position by removing the constitutional exemption that currently allows the county to appoint the assessor.

A "no" vote opposes requiring the Jackson County Assessor to be elected, keeping the constitutional exemption that allows the county to appoint the assessor.

Overview

What would Amendment 2 change?

See also: Text of measure

Amendment 2 would delete language from the Missouri Constitution that exempts charter counties with populations between 600,001 and 699,999 from having an elected assessor. As of 2025, there is one charter county within this population range—Jackson County. Therefore, Amendment 2 would require the Jackson County Assessor to be an elected position. All other Missouri counties are already required to elect their assessors.

Amendment 2 would also require, in the Missouri Constitution, that all county assessors comply with any training provisions established by general law.

What events and prior ballot measures relate to Amendment 2?

See also: Background

In 2010, voters approved a constitutional amendment, titled Amendment 1, that required counties with charter governments to have elected, rather than appointed, assessors. The amendment included an exception for Jackson County based on its population. In 2009, state Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-15), whose district included St. Louis County, introduced the amendment. At the time, only two counties—St. Louis County and Jackson County—had appointed assessors. Sen. Schmitt said St. Louis County should elect its assessor. Regarding the exception for Jackson County, Schmitt said, "Personally, I think that would be a good thing, but I’ll let Jackson County deal with that. I went up there as an elected representative from St. Louis County; that was really my main goal." Dan Ferguson, a spokesperson for Jackson County, said, "Here specifically in Jackson County, we don’t have any sort of movement or feeling that the assessor needs to be elected."

In November 2025, Kansas City Star reporter Kacen Bayless wrote, "Assessments, which take place every two years, have become a fraught political issue over the past several years and seeped into debates over the recent recall election of County Executive Frank White Jr. and the fight over the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals."

On November 4, 2025, voters in Jackson County, Missouri, approved Question 1, amending the Jackson County Charter to make the position of Jackson County Assessor an elected, rather than appointed, office. The vote was 90.3% 'Yes' to 9.7% 'No.'

What is the county assessor?

See also: Laws governing the county assessor

In Missouri, the county assessor is responsible for classifying property and determining the value of real and tangible personal property for tax purposes. The valuation process is called assessment, and when updated, reassessment. An assessor applies a statutory percentage based on property classification to calculate the assessed value. As of 2025, state law required residential property to be assessed at 19% of its market value. For example, a residential property valued at $400,000 would be assessed at $76,000. Local taxing jurisdictions, such as the county, school district, or city, apply their tax rates to that $76,000 assessed value, not to the $400,000 market value.

Missouri Revised Statutes provide certification and continuing education requirements for county assessors. After taking office, an assessor must complete a state-approved course on ad valorem property tax assessment, with at least 32 hours of classroom instruction, and become certified by the State Tax Commission within two years. Thereafter, the assessor must complete at least one additional course every two years to remain certified. Assessors who have served for 16 or more years are exempt from the continuing education requirement.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The official ballot title is as follows:

“

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to: require all charter counties, including Jackson County, to provide for the election of a county assessor; and require assessors in all charter counties to comply with any training requirements established by general law? State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.

”

Fair ballot language

The official ballot summary is as follows:

“

A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to require that all charter counties, including Jackson County, elect a county assessor and that such assessors comply with training requirements established by state law. A “no” vote will not change the current constitutional provisions, which exempt Jackson County from the requirement to elect its assessor and do not require charter county assessors to follow training requirements under general law. If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.

”

Constitutional changes

See also: Article VI, Missouri Constitution

The ballot measure would amend Section 18(b) of Article VI of the Missouri Constitution. The following underlined text would be added and struck-through text would be deleted:

The charter shall provide for its amendment,; for the form of the county government,; for the number, kinds, manner of selection, terms of office and salaries of the county officers,; and for the exercise of all powers and duties of counties and county officers prescribed by the constitution and laws of the state,; however, such charter shall, except for the charter of any county with a charter form of government and with more than six hundred thousand but fewer than seven hundred thousand inhabitants, require the assessor of the county to be an elected officer and to comply with all training provisions required by general law.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• State Sen. Joe Nicola (R)
• State Rep. Carolyn Caton (R)
• State Rep. Jon Patterson (R)

Arguments

• State Rep. Jon Patterson (R-30): "This is an important step forward in the fight against unfair taxes. With the passage of this legislation, voters in Missouri will get the chance to give Jackson County the right to have its own elected assessor, just like every other county in the state does. It improves accountability, cuts property taxes, and ensures the kind of transparency taxpayers deserve. The days of unchecked overreach by the Jackson County Tax Assessor need to come to an end."

Opposition

Ballotpedia has not located arguments in opposition to the ballot measure. You can share arguments, along with source links for this information, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign finance

See also: Campaign finance requirements for Missouri ballot measures

As of November 2025, Ballotpedia had not identified ballot measure committees registered to support or oppose Amendment 2.

	Cash Contributions	In-Kind Contributions	Total Contributions	Cash Expenditures	Total Expenditures
Support	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Oppose	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
Total	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

Background

Missouri Amendment 1 (2010)

See also: Missouri Amendment 1, Election of Charter County Assessors Measure (2010)

On November 2, 2010, voters approved a constitutional amendment, titled Amendment 1, that required counties with charter governments to have elected, rather than appointed, assessors. Amendment 1 included an exception for charter counties with populations between 600,001 and 699,999, which applied to Jackson County. The vote was 74.1% 'Yes' to 25.9% 'No.' In Jackson County, Missouri, the vote was similar—73.9% 'Yes' to 26.1% 'No.'

In 2009, state Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-15), whose district included St. Louis County, proposed the constitutional amendment. He said St. Louis County should have an elected assessor: "Having an elected assessor attacks the problem of unfair assessments on the front end, ensuring the assessment process is more open, transparent and fair."

On August 3, 2010, voters in St. Louis County approved Proposition 2, which made the county assessor an elected position. According to the Columbia Missourian, Amendment 1 did not have an immediate effect because counties with charter governments, except for Jackson County, had elected assessors.

Regarding Jackson County, Sen. Eric Schmitt said, "Personally, I think that would be a good thing, but I’ll let Jackson County deal with that. I went up there as an elected representative from St. Louis County; that was really my main goal." Dan Ferguson, a spokesperson for Jackson County, said, "Here specifically in Jackson County, we don’t have any sort of movement or feeling that the assessor needs to be elected."

Jackson County Question 1 (2025)

See also: Jackson County, Missouri, Question 1, Change Jackson County Assessor from Appointed to Elected Position Amendment (November 2025)

On November 4, 2025, voters in Jackson County, Missouri, approved Question 1, amending the Jackson County Charter to make the position of Jackson County Assessor an elected, rather than appointed, office. The vote was 90.3% 'Yes' to 9.7% 'No.'

According to the Kansas City Star, "Assessments, which take place every two years, have become a fraught political issue over the past several years and seeped into debates over the recent recall election of County Executive Frank White Jr. and the fight over the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals."

The Jackson County Legislature voted 7-2 to refer Question 1 to the ballot on June 30, 2025. However, on July 11, County Executive Frank White Jr. (D) vetoed the resolution. He said the veto was about election costs, not the substance of the proposal: "I support giving voters a say, but we can and should do it in 2026, when it won’t cost Jackson County taxpayers a single extra dollar." On July 18, the legislature voted 7-2 to override the executive's veto.

Laws governing the county assessor

In Missouri, the county assessor is responsible for classifying property and determining the value of real and tangible personal property for tax purposes.

The valuation process is called assessment, and when updated, reassessment. The purpose of reassessment, which occurs every two years, is to update a real property’s assessed value to reflect its current market value. An assessor applies a statutory percentage based on property classification to calculate the assessed value. As of 2025, state law required residential property to be assessed at 19% of its market value. For example, a residential property valued at $400,000 would be assessed at $76,000. Local taxing jurisdictions, such as the county, school district, or city, apply their tax rates to that $76,000 assessed value, not to the $400,000 market value. Before increasing the assessed value of a residential property by more than 15% compared to the last assessment, excluding increases from new construction or improvements, the assessor must conduct a physical inspection.

Missouri Revised Statutes provide certification and continuing education requirements for county assessors. After taking office, an assessor must complete a state-approved course on ad valorem property tax assessment, with at least 32 hours of classroom instruction, and become certified by the State Tax Commission within two years. Thereafter, the assessor must complete at least one additional course every two years to remain certified. Assessors who have served for 16 or more years are exempt from the continuing education requirement.

The Missouri State Tax Commission oversees all assessing officers, including county assessors, and county boards of equalization, and is responsible for ensuring they comply with property tax laws. It may take action to enforce penalties against officials or individuals who fail to comply.

Path to the ballot

Amending the Missouri Constitution

See also: Amending the Missouri Constitution

A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Missouri General Assembly to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 82 votes in the Missouri House of Representatives and 18 votes in the Missouri State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

House Joint Resolution 23 (2025)

State Rep. Carolyn Caton (R-33) introduced the constitutional amendment into the Missouri State Legislature as House Joint Resolution 23 (HJR 23) on December 6, 2024. The constitutional amendment moved through the legislature between December 6, 2024, and May 1, 2025.

• December 6, 2024: Rep. Caton prefiled HJR 23 in the House of Representatives.
• February 27, 2025: The House voted 125-7 to pass the original version of HJR 23.
• April 29, 2025: The Senate voted 33-0 to pass an amended HJR 23. The amendment removed a provision that would have required St. Louis to have an elected assessor and added language requiring county assessors “to comply with all training provisions required by general law.”
• May 1, 2025: The House voted 129-0 to concur and pass with the amended HJR 23. As the constitutional amendment was approved in both chambers, the proposal was referred to the ballot.

Partisan Direction Index = 0.0% (Bipartisan)

Democratic Support

100%

Republican Support

100%

Missouri State Senate

Voted on April 29, 2025

Votes Required to Pass: 18
	Yes	No	NV
Total	33	0	0
Total %	100%	0%	0%
Democratic (D)	10	0	0
Republican (R)	23	0	0

Missouri House of Representatives

Voted on May 1, 2025

Votes Required to Pass: 82
	Yes	No	NV
Total	129	0	33
Total %	80.2%	0%	19.8%
Democratic (D)	27	0	25
Republican (R)	102	0	8

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Missouri

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Missouri.

How to vote in Missouri

Poll times

In Missouri, all polling places are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Missouri, one must be 18 years old, a United States citizen, and Missouri resident. Individuals who are 17 years and six months old may pre-register to vote but cannot vote until they turn 18. An applicant may print an application, pick one up from a county clerk's office, or request that an application be mailed. They may also register in person at the office of their local election authority, at a driver's licensing office, at some state agencies, or at a library. The completed application must be returned by mail. All returned applications must be postmarked by the fourth Wednesday before Election Day in order to be processed. An applicant may also register to vote online.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Missouri does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Missouri has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

Missouri does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Missouri, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify the length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible. Voters may file change-of-address forms after the registration deadline, up to and including Election Day, provided that they can present photo identification upon doing so.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Missouri does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Missouri Secretary of State's office allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Missouri requires voters to present photo identification while voting.

The following were accepted forms of identification as of November 2025. Click here for the Missouri Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Voters can present the following forms of information: A nonexpired Missouri driver or non-driver license; A nonexpired military ID, including a veteran’s ID card; A nonexpired United States passport; or Another photo ID issued by the United States or the state of Missouri which is either not expired or expired after the date of the most recent general election.

”

To view Missouri state law pertaining to voter identification, click here.

If a voter does not have an ID, he or she can obtain one for free at a Missouri Department of Revenue driver's license office. For more information, fill out this form, call 573-526-8683, or visit the Missouri Department of Revenue's website.

See also

2026 ballot measures

View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in Missouri.

• 2026 ballot measures
• Missouri 2026 ballot measures
• Missouri elections, 2026

Missouri ballot measures

Explore Missouri's ballot measure history, including constitutional amendments.

• List of Missouri ballot measures
• Local government officials and elections ballot measures
• Missouri State Legislature

Legislative process

Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.

• Legislatively referred constitutional amendment
• Missouri Constitution
• Amending state constitutions

External links

• Missouri House Joint Resolution 23 (2026)

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