Date of the April 7 Election Changed to June 2

Missouri’s municipal elections have been pushed back from April 7 to June 2 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline to request an absentee ballot from your local election authority is May 20.

Here is the statement from Governor Parson and Secretary of State Ashcroft:

Pursuant to Governor Mike Parson’s Executive Order 20-02 declaring a state of emergency in response to COVID-19 and a request from Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, Governor Parson today signed Executive Order 20-03 ordering all Missouri municipal elections previously scheduled for April 7, 2020, to be postponed to June 2, 2020.

The Executive Order declares that ballots already printed for the April 7 election may be used at the postponed date of June 2. Voters who have attained the age of 18 by April 7 will be allowed to cast a ballot.

“Given the growing concern surrounding COVID-19 and the large number of people elections attract, postponing Missouri’s municipal elections is a necessary step to help combat the spread of the virus and protect the health and safety of Missouri voters,” Governor Parson said. “Postponing an election is not easy, but we are all in this together. We are thankful to Secretary Ashcroft and our 116 election authorities for their leadership, cooperation, and commitment to doing what is best for their communities during this time.”

Here is a link to the full statement on the Missouri government website:
https://www.sos.mo.gov/default.aspx?PageID=9820

The League of Women Voters is calling for a nationwide expansion of no-excuse absentee voting and mail-in ballots. Our top priority must be the health and safety of the American people while simultaneously upholding the rights of all voters.

The League has been advocating for early voting in Missouri. SB681 is awaiting action in the legislature to allow early voting sites similar to those in St. Louis County to open statewide.

Missouri is one of the few states that requires an excuse to request an absentee ballot and a notarized signature for the completed ballot. It’s time to make voting easier in Missouri.

TWO CENTENNIAL EVENTS!

History of Women at the University of Missouri
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
7:00 p.m. (6:30 p.m. refreshments)
Columbia Public Library Friends Room

Guest speaker:
Mary Beth Brown
Ph.D. Candidate in History, MU

Mary Beth Brown will present a historic look at the road to inclusion in higher education for women at the University of Missouri. This event is cosponsored by the Columbia Public Library and the American Association of University Women-Columbia Branch, in celebration of the centennial of the 19th Amendment and Women’s History Month.

“Born Criminal”
Thursday, March 12, 2020
7:00 p.mMa.
Columbia Public Library – Reading Room

Guest speaker:
Angelica Carpenter
Author of “Born Criminal: Matilda Joslyn Gage, Radical Suffragist”

Matilda Joslyn Gage was a leader in the early women’s movement working closely with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Today she is mostly forgotten, after being largely written out of history. Ms. Carpenter’s book writes her back in. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing by the author. The program is cosponsored by the Columbia Public Library.