St. Louis, Missouri, Proposition R, Redistricting Commission, Public Vote to Change Voting Methods, and Conflicts of Interest Requirements Initiative (April 2022)
| St. Louis Proposition R | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date April 5, 2022 | |
| Topic Local elections and campaigns | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Initiative | Origin Citizens |
St. Louis Proposition R was on the ballot as an initiative in St. Louis on April 5, 2022. It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported this charter amendment to: • create a redistricting commission for drawing ward boundaries; • require a public vote before a proposed change to voting methods can be adopted; and • require alderpersons to declare personal or financial conflicts of interest and abstain from voting when there are conflicts of interest. |
A "no" vote opposed this charter amendment, thus continuing to provide that the Board of Alderman is responsible for redistricting and to allow voting methods to be changed by a board-passed ordinance. |
A three-fifths (60%) majority vote was required for the approval of Proposition R.
Election results
|
St. Louis Proposition R |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
13,321 | 69.14% | ||
| No | 5,946 | 30.86% | ||
Overview
How did Proposition R change redistricting in St. Louis?
Going into this election, the St. Louis Board of Alderman was responsible for drafting and approving the city's wards. Proposition R transferred that power from the board to a 9-member redistricting commission that, according to the amendment, should "represent the demographic make-up of the City of St. Louis."[1]
The initiative was designed to have an Oversight Committee remove applicants for the commission that do not meet certain requirements, and then provide a list of applicants to the Board of Aldermen. The initiative allowed each alderperson to strike one applicant from the list, which will then return to the Oversight Committee under the initiative. A random draw will then be used to select four applicants to serve as commissioners, and those four persons would select the remaining five applicants by three-fourths votes.[1]
The 9-member redistricting commission was tasked by the initiative to establish ward boundaries based on the following criteria, in order of priority:[1]
- following requirements of the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965;
- creating districts with contiguous territory;
- minimizing the division of local neighborhoods or local communities of interest;
- creating districts that are compact in form; and
- using geographically identifiable boundaries.
Proposition R required approval by five commissioners for any official actions, including approval of a final map.[1]
How did Proposition R relate to the city's electoral systems?
Proposition R requires the Board of Aldermen to submit any proposed changes to voting methods to the ballot for a public vote. According to Proposition R, the purpose of this requirement was to "protect voters' rights and prevent the Board of Alderpersons from overturning the will of the people pertaining to voter-enacted reforms."[1] An example of a voter-enacted change to the city's electoral system is Proposition D, which was approved in November 2020 and enacted a system of approval voting. Under Proposition R, Proposition D cannot be changed by the board without voter approval.
What other changes did Proposition R make to the St. Louis Charter?
Proposition R renamed the Board of Aldermen to the Board of Alderpersons.[1] The charter amendment also enacted several provisions related to conflicts of interest, including:[1]
- prohibiting alderpersons from knowingly using their official position to influence others for their own or a related person’s personal or financial benefit;
- requiring alderpersons to declare personal or financial conflicts of interest and abstain from voting when there are conflicts of interest;
- prohibiting alderpersons from accepting employment or contracts that interfere with the discharge of their public duties or create conflicts of interest; and
- requiring former alderpersons to wait at least one year before serving as a lobbyist to influence a city government decision.
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposition R was as follows:[1]
| “ |
Proposition R. Proposed by Initiative Petition. Shall Article IV of the City of St. Louis Charter be amended to:
|
” |
Full text
The full text of the ballot initiative is below:[1]
Support
Reform St. Louis led the campaign in support of Proposition R.[3]
Supporters
Officials
- Alderperson Megan Ellyia Green (Nonpartisan)
- Alderperson Christine Ingrassia (Nonpartisan)
- Alderperson Annie Lee Rice (Nonpartisan)
- Alderperson Anne Schweitzer (Nonpartisan)
- Alderperson Bill Stephens (Nonpartisan)
Organizations
- Action St. Louis Power Project
- Center for Election Science
- Election Reformers Network
- Forward Through Ferguson
- Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis
- League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis
- Missouri Faith Voices
- Represent.Us
- Serve America Movement
- Show Me Integrity
- St. Louis Association of Community Organizations
- St. Louis Young Democrats
Individuals
- Yinka Faleti (D) - Candidate for Missouri Secretary of State in 2020
Arguments
Opposition
Vote No Prop R led the campaign in opposition to Proposition R.[4]
Opponents
Officials
- Alderperson Brandon Frazier Bosley (Nonpartisan)
- Alderperson Pamela Boyd (Nonpartisan)
- Alderperson Marlene Davis (Nonpartisan)
- Alderperson Carol J. Howard (Nonpartisan)
- Alderperson John Collins-Muhammad Jr. (Nonpartisan)
- Board of Aldermen President Lewis E. Reed (D)
- Alderperson Joseph Vaccaro Jr. (Nonpartisan)
Political Parties
Arguments
Media editorials
Support
Ballotpedia did not locate media editorial boards in support of the ballot measure.
Opposition
Campaign finance
Show Me Integrity Action Fund was registered as a political action committee (PAC) to support the ballot initiative. The PAC raised $135,369.[5]
Vote NO Prop R was registered as a PAC to oppose the ballot initiative. The PAC raised $2,635.[5]
| Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | $131,169.30 | $4,200.00 | $135,369.30 | $136,698.95 | $140,898.95 |
| Oppose | $2,566.16 | $427.96 | $2,994.12 | $2,566.16 | $2,994.12 |
| Total | $133,735.46 | $4,627.96 | $138,363.42 | $139,265.11 | $143,893.07 |
Support
The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in support of the initiative.[5]
| Committees in support of Proposition R | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Committee | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures |
| Show Me Integrity Action Fund | $131,169.30 | $4,200.00 | $135,369.30 | $136,698.95 | $140,898.95 |
| Total | $131,169.30 | $4,200.00 | $135,369.30 | $136,698.95 | $140,898.95 |
Donors
The following were the top donors to the committee.[5]
| Donor | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Center for Election Science | $62,320.00 | $0.00 | $62,320.00 |
| Show Me Integrity | $15,000.00 | $0.00 | $15,000.00 |
| Anne Sappingron | $4,400.00 | $0.00 | $4,400.00 |
| YVM Holdings, LLC | $0.00 | $4,200.00 | $4,200.00 |
| Action St. Louis Power Project | $3,000.00 | $0.00 | $3,000.00 |
Oppose
The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committee in opposition to the initiative.[5]
| Committees in opposition to Proposition R | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Committee | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures |
| Vote NO Prop R | $2,566.16 | $427.96 | $2,994.12 | $2,566.16 | $2,994.12 |
| Total | $2,566.16 | $427.96 | $2,994.12 | $2,566.16 | $2,994.12 |
Donors
The following were the top donors to the committee.[5]
| Donor | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of St. Louis Republican Party | $1,100.00 | $1,352.50 | $2,452.50 |
Background
St. Louis Proposition D (2020)
At the election on November 3, 2020, voters approved St. Louis Proposition D, which adopted a system of approval voting for the offices of mayor, comptroller, president of the Board of Aldermen, and the Board of Aldermen. Proposition D also made elections for these offices open and nonpartisan. Approval voting is an electoral system in which voters may vote for any number of candidates they choose. In St. Louis, the top two candidates with the most votes compete in a runoff general election.
Redistricting in St. Louis
In St. Louis, Missouri, members of the Board of Aldermen are elected from wards. In 2012, voters passed a charter amendment reducing the number of wards and alderpersons from 28 to 14 on January 1, 2022.[6]
In St. Louis as of the beginning of 2022, the Board of Aldermen was responsible for approving the decennial redistricting maps. The 14-ward district map was approved on December 14, 2021, by the Board of Aldermen.[6]
Path to the ballot
In St. Louis, Missouri, a campaign for a citizen-initiated measure must collect a number of signatures equal to at least 10% of registered voters at the last mayoral election.
On September 20, 2021, the campaign Reform St. Louis reported submitting about 39,000 signatures.[7] On October 4, 2021, Board of Elections Director Benjamin Borgmeyer announced that the campaign had collected more valid signatures than the minimum requirement, which was 20,141.[8]
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.[9] Registration
To vote in Missouri, one must be 18 years old, a United States citizen, and Missouri resident.[10] 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.[10] Automatic registrationMissouri does not practice automatic voter registration.[11] Online registration
Missouri has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.[11] Same-day registrationMissouri does not allow same-day voter registration.[11] 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.[12][13] 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.[10] 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.[14] 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 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.[15][16] The following were accepted forms of identification as of October 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:
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 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Reform St. Louis, "Petition for Proposition R," accessed February 19, 2022
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Reform St. Louis, "Homepage," accessed February 19, 2022
- ↑ Vote No Prop R, "Homepage," accessed April 2, 2022
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Missouri Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance," accessed February 19, 2022
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 St. Louis, Missouri, "City of St. Louis Redistricting," accessed March 4, 2022
- ↑ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Petitioners submit signatures seeking St. Louis ward redistricting change," September 20, 2021
- ↑ The St. Louis American, "St. Louisans to cast vote on Prop R in April special election," October 4, 2021
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State - Elections and Voting, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed April 4, 2023
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Missouri Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed April 4, 2023
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 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 October 7, 2025
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Do I need an ID to vote?" accessed October 7, 2025
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