Missouri Require Election of Jackson County Assessor Amendment (2026)

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

The Missouri 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 this amendment do?

See also: Text of measure

This amendment would delete an exception to the state constitution's requirement that all county assessors be elected officials. The existing exception that this amendment would delete applies to a county with a population of more than 600,000 but less than 700,000.

Jackson County is the only county in Missouri with a population of over 600,000. The next largest county is St. Charles County, which has a population of 405,262 according to the 2020 census.

What is the role of the county assessor?

See also: Role of the county assessor

In Missouri, the county assessor is an elected official responsible for identifying, classifying, and valuing all taxable property within the county for the purpose of property taxation. This includes real property such as land and buildings, as well as, in some cases, personal property like vehicles and business equipment. The assessed values determined by the assessor serve as the basis for calculating property taxes. The assessor's duties include maintaining up-to-date property records, conducting reassessments, and providing information to property owners about their assessments.

In Missouri, Jackson County is the only county where the assessor is appointed rather than elected.

How did this amendment get on the ballot?

See also: Path to the ballot

In order for the state legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot in Missouri, a simple majority vote in each chamber of the state legislature is needed.

The amendment was introduced to the Missouri House of Representatives as House Joint Resolution 23 (HJR 23) on December 6, 2024. On February 27, 2025, HJR 23 initially passed the House by 125-7, and was referred to the Missouri State Senate. The Senate passed the amendment, with amendments, by 33-0 on April 29, 2025. On May 1, 2025, the House passed the amended version of HJR 23 by 129-0.

Text of measure

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. 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

Ballotpedia did not identify ballot measure committees registered to support or oppose the ballot measure.

	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

Role of the county assessor

The county assessor is responsible for determining the fair market value of all real and personal property within the county for taxation purposes. The valuation process ensures that property taxes are distributed equitably among property owners. The assessor's duties include maintaining up-to-date property records, conducting reassessments, and providing information to property owners about their assessments.

As of 2025, under Missouri law, real property in Jackson County is reassessed every two years, specifically in odd-numbered years like 2023 and 2025. The purpose of reassessment is to reflect changes in the real estate market and ensure uniformity in property valuations. The assessed value is based on the property's fair market value as of January 1st of the reassessment year. If a property's assessed value increases by more than 15% compared to the previous assessment, the assessor is required to conduct a physical inspection and notify the property owner in writing, providing information about their rights related to the inspection.

Path to the ballot

See also: Amending the Missouri Constitution

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 Eaton (R) introduced the constitutional amendment into the Missouri House of Representatives 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: House Joint Resolution 23 (HJR 23) was prefiled in the Missouri House of Representatives
• February 27, 2025: HJR 23 passed the Missouri House of Representatives for the first time by 125-7, and was referred to the Missouri State Senate.
• April 29, 2025: The Senate passed the amendment, with amendments, by 33-0.
• May 1, 2025: The House concurred with the amended version of HJR 23, and the measure was truly agreed to and finally passed by 129-0.

Partisan Direction Index = 0.0 (Bipartisan)

Democratic Support

100

Republican Support

100

How does this vote compare to other legislative ballot measures in 2026?
Learn more about the ballot measures PDI →

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	130	0	32
Total %	80.2%	0%	19.8%
Democratic (D)	27	0	26
Republican (R)	103	0	6

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. An individual who is in line at the time 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. An applicant may print an application, pick one up from a county clerk's office, or request that an application be mailed. The completed application must be returned by mail. All returned applications must be postmarked at least 27 days prior to Election Day in order to be processed. An applicant may also register to vote online.

Automatic 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

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. 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 April 2023. 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.

If a voter does not have an ID, he or she can obtain one for free by filling out this form.

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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