#ballots

The USPS just changed how postmarks work - and it will affect MAIL-IN VOTING while hitting Americans with late fees on everything from tax payments to rent checks.

Starting in 2026, your postmark date won’t reflect when you actually mailed something anymore. Instead of stamping mail with the date you dropped it in a mailbox or handed it to a postal worker, USPS will now mark it with whenever their sorting machine gets around to processing it - potentially days later.

If you get an unsolicited email or call or text or any other contact from a federal or local agency saying you need to do something NOW RIGHT NOW to make sure your ballot is counted, stop. Do not do the thing they are telling you you must do.

Take a moment to figure out what agency they claim to be contacting you from, and then hang up, close the email, whatever. Go to a search engine, and find the OFFICIAL WEBSITE of whatever department. Call the number you find there. When you get through to a person, say “[Name] contacted me claiming to be from [department] about [issue], and I wanted to verify that this is not a scam.” The person on the other end of the line will either say “that’s a scam” or “no that could be a real issue, let me transfer you to someone who can help.”

You will never get a phone call about a warrant for basically anything. You will get a letter.

You do NOT need to pay to cure your ballot, or to overturn a warrant, or any other reason someone claiming to be a government agent might give you. If you have to pay a fine, you will receive a letter, and be told where to pay it. You will never need to pay using gift cards or cryptocurrency.

Tuesday is Election Day!!! If you are eligible to vote, do not forget to go to the polls!!! Every vote matters! It might not be a presidential election, but there are still offices up for grabs. Change starts on local levels, so participate in local elections too! Use your voice to make the world a better place!!!

Need help finding a polling place? Check out this resource from vote.org: Polling Place Locator

Need to figure out what's on your ballot? Check out this resource from Vote 411: Personalized Ballot

Every election is important. Every voice deserves to be heard. Make sure yours is.

This doesn't automatically mean that it's MAGA republicans ruining people's mail in hopes of ruining Kamala ballots, but considering that it's MAGAts who's been saying that they're going to be doing this I think it's pretty much safe to say that it's them. (Source. Source.)

OCTOBER 9TH (TODAY!!!) IS THE LAST DAY THAT YOU CAN REGISTER TO VOTE IN MISSOURI FOR THE NOVEMBER 2024 ELECTION

Click here ^ to register! It's easy!

Once you're registered you can check your polling location (the place you go to vote), learn about absentee voting, the election machines, acceptable forms of ID for voting, and when polls are open on this page. After you register, I highly recommend checking in with the local county clerk's office to ensure your registration was filed properly (this can take up to 10 days, iirc) once a week or so until they confirm it.

Once you're registered you can check your polling location (the place you go to vote), learn about absentee voting, the election machines, acceptable forms of ID for voting, and when polls are open.

PLEASE CHECK BELOW ABOUT WHAT WILL BE ON THE MISSOURI BALLOT!

Ballot Measures and Issues are as follows: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

-Amendment 2 (Amend Missouri Constitution to: allow Missouri Gaming Commission to regulate sports wagering online) (the "sports betting" amendment)

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to: State governmental entities estimate onetime costs of $660,000, ongoing annual costs of at least $5.2 million, and initial license fee revenue of $11.75 million. Because the proposal allows for deductions against sports gaming revenues, they estimate unknown tax revenue ranging from $0 to $28.9 million annually. Local governments estimate unknown revenue.

 Fair Ballot Language: 

A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to permit licensed sports wagering regulated by the Missouri Gaming Commission and restrict sports betting to individuals physically located in the state and over the age of 21.  The amendment includes a 10% wagering tax on revenues received to be appropriated for educational institutions in Missouri. A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution regarding licensed regulated sports wagering. If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.

READ MOR ON AMENDMENT 2 HERE

-Amendment 3 (the "abortion amendment", removes Missouri's ban on abortion as well "require the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding and other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care"-full text that will be on the ballot can be found on this page under Amendment 3.

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to: State governmental entities estimate no costs or savings, but unknown impact. Local governmental entities estimate costs of at least $51,000 annually in reduced tax revenues. Opponents estimate a potentially significant loss to state revenue.

 Fair Ballot Language: 

A “yes” vote establishes a constitutional right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, with any governmental interference of that right presumed invalid; removes Missouri's ban on abortion; allows regulation of reproductive health care to improve or maintain the health of the patient; requires the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding, and other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care; and allows abortion to be restricted or banned after Fetal Viability except to protect the life or health of the woman. A “no” vote will continue the statutory prohibition of abortion in Missouri. If passed, this measure may reduce local taxes while the impact to state taxes is unknown. --DO NOT LET THIS SCARE YOU! A YES ON 3 GIVES REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM BACK TO THE MISSOURI PEOPLE! PLEASE PROTECT WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE! PLEASE PROTECT THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY!

READ MORE ON AMENDMENT 3 HERE

-Amendment 5 (allows the addition of exactly one more gambling boat license on a specific portion of the Osage River)

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to: State governmental entities estimate one-time costs of $763,000, ongoing costs of $2.2 million annually, initial fee revenue of $271,000, ongoing admission and other fee revenue of $2.1 million annually, and annual gaming tax revenue of $14.3 million. Local governments estimate unknown revenue.

 Fair Ballot Language: 

A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to allow the Missouri Gaming Commission to issue an additional gambling boat license to operate an excursion gambling boat on the Osage River, between the Missouri River and the Bagnell Dam. All state revenue derived from the issuance of the gambling boat license shall be appropriated to early-childhood literacy programs in public institutions of elementary education. A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution regarding gambling boat licensure. If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes. -- THOUGH I WONDER IF THERE IS ANYTHING IN WRITING THAT GUARANTEES THAT MONEY WILL GO TO THE SCHOOLS?

READ MORE ON AMENDMENT 5 HERE

-Amendment 6 ("Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that the administration of justice shall include the levying of costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for certain current and former law enforcement personnel? State and local governmental entities estimate an unknown fiscal impact."

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to provide that the administration of justice shall include the levying of costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for certain current and former law enforcement personnel? State and local governmental entities estimate an unknown fiscal impact.

 Fair Ballot Language: 

A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to levy costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for current and former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys, and circuit attorneys to ensure all Missourians have access to the courts of justice. A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution to levy costs and fees related to current or former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys and circuit attorneys. If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.

READ MORE ON AMENDMENT 6 HERE

-Amendment 7 (the "ranked choice voting" amendment; "make the Constitution consistent with state law by allowing only citizens of the US to vote, prohibit ranking of candidates by limiting voters to a single vote per candidate or issue, and require the plurality winner of a political party primary to be the single candidate at the general election")

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to: State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.

 Fair Ballot Language: 

A “yes” vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to specify that only United States citizens are entitled to vote, voters shall only have a single vote for each candidate or issue, restrict any type of ranking of candidates for a particular office and require the person receiving the greatest number of votes at the primary election as a party candidate for an office shall be the only candidate for that party at the general election, and require the person receiving the greatest number of votes for each office at the general election shall be declared the winner.  This provision does not apply to any nonpartisan municipal election held in a city that had an ordinance in effect as of November 5, 2024, that requires a preliminary election at which more than one candidate advances to a subsequent election. A “no” vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution to make any changes to how voters vote in primary and general elections. If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.

READ MORE ON AMENDMENT 7 HERE. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY STRANGE ABOUT THE WORDING!

-Proposition A (minimum wage increase to $15/hr, by incremental yearly increases until 2026 where it will reach $15/hr) (edited)

Do you want to amend Missouri law to: State governmental entities estimate one-time costs ranging from $0 to $53,000, and ongoing costs ranging from $0 to at least $256,000 per year by 2027. State and local government tax revenue could change by an unknown annual amount depending on business decisions.

 Fair Ballot Language: 

A “yes” vote will amend Missouri statutes to increase the state minimum wage beginning January 1, 2025 to $13.75 per hour and increase the hourly rate $1.25, to $15.00 per hour beginning January 2026. Annually the minimum wage will be adjusted based on the Consumer Price Index.  The law will require employers with fifteen or more employees to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty hours worked. The amendment will exempt governmental entities, political subdivisions, school districts and education institutions from the minimum wage increase. A “no” vote will not amend Missouri law to make changes to the state minimum wage law. If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.

READ MORE ON PROP A HERE

Practice makes perfect! Click here to view the Sample Ballot so you know what you're looking at on November 5th!

I know it seems like this is a LOT of information (and it is! I'm tired of looking at it!!) but it's *designed* to be a lot of information to scare regular folks like you and me from voting in our best interests!

THIS ELECTION IS NOT ONE TO SLEEP ON! WE NEED EVERY VOTE, EVERY VOICE TO ENSURE THE PROTECTION OF OUR FREEDOMS! PLEASE VOTE NOT JUST FOR YOURSELF, BUT FOR YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR FAMILY, YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR FUTURE!

WHEN AMERICA COUGHS THE WHOLE WORLD WILL CATCH A COLD!

VOTE BLUE! VOTE DEMOCRATS!

Worried about remembering everything? Take an index card and write down all the measures you're voting for! Keep it in your pocket and use it to help you remember when you're at the polls!