St. Louis, Missouri, Proposition D, Approval Voting Initiative (November 2020)
| St. Louis Proposition D | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2020 | |
| Topic Local electoral systems | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Initiative | Origin Citizens |
An initiative proposing approval voting was on the ballot for St. Louis voters in Missouri, on November 3, 2020. It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported:
|
A "no" vote opposed using an approval voting system for primary elections, thereby maintaining the existing plurality voting system. |
Election results
|
St. Louis Proposition D |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
87,369 | 68.15% | ||
| No | 40,833 | 31.85% | ||
Overview
- See also: Approval voting
Proposition D made elections open and nonpartisan for the offices of mayor, comptroller, president of the Board of Aldermen, and the Board of Aldermen and changed the primary election system from plurality voting to approval voting. An approval voting system is an electoral system in which voters may vote for any number of candidates they choose. In St. Louis, the top two candidates in the primary would compete in a runoff election.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot question
The ballot question was as follows:
| “ |
Shall the City of St. Louis adopt an ordinance to:
|
” |
Full text
The full text of the measure was available here.[1]
Support
STL Approves led the campaign in support of Proposition D.[3]
Supporters
- State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge (D-78)[4]
- Former State Rep. Tishaura Jones (D-63)[4]
- Open Primaries[4]
- Represent.Us[4]
- League of Women Voters of Metro STL[4]
Arguments
- State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge (D-78) said, "No leader has a mandate to govern when 60% of voters choose someone else. This is not how democracy was intended to work."[4]
Opposition
Opponents
- African American Aldermanic Caucus[5]
Arguments
- The African American Aldermanic Caucus said, "Proposition D obscures true debates and issue-driven dialogue among candidates and eliminates genuine binary choices between two top-tier candidates. Proposition D disenfranchises voters, because ballots that do not include the two ultimate finalists are cast aside to manufacture a faux majority for the winner. Under Proposition D, you never really know who will be running against whom in the final vote count with ranked choice. It is all a numbers gimmick. ... In November, we are asking our voters and residents to vote NO on Proposition D."[5]
Path to the ballot
In St. Louis, local citizen initiatives are presented to the city's Board of Aldermen where the board may change the initiative, adopt it, or send it to the ballot. On April 1, 2020, STL Approves announced that they had submitted 20,026 unverified signatures. The required amount of verified signatures is 9,844. The proposition was placed on the November ballot after the city's Board of Aldermen did not enact the measure into law.
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Missouri
Click "Show" to learn more about voter registration, identification requirements, and poll times in Missouri.
| How to cast a vote in Missouri | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll timesIn 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.[6] Registration
To vote in Missouri, one must be 18 years old, a United States citizen, and Missouri resident.[7] 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.[7] Automatic registrationMissouri does not practice automatic voter registration.[8] Online registration
Missouri has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.[8] Same-day registrationMissouri does not allow same-day voter registration.[8] Residency requirementsTo 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.[9][10] Verification of citizenshipMissouri 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.[7] 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.[11] 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 registrationThe Missouri Secretary of State's office allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirementsMissouri requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[12][13] 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:
If a voter does not have an ID, he or she can obtain one for free by filling out this form. | |||||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 STL Approves, "Petition," accessed June 9, 2020
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ STL Approves, "Home," accessed June 9, 2020
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 STL Approves, "Supporters," accessed June 9, 2020
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Facebook, "African American Aldermanic Caucus," September 25, 2020
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State - Elections and Voting, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed April 4, 2023
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Missouri Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed April 4, 2023
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 27, 2024
- ↑ BillTrack50, "MO HB1878," accessed April 4, 2023
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "FAQs Voter Registration," accessed August 27, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "How To Vote," accessed August 27, 2024
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Do I need an ID to vote?" accessed April 3, 2023
 |
State of Missouri Jefferson City (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
