Several communities to decide whether to forgo elections

Voters in several Cape Girardeau and Scott County cities and villages have a decision to make about the future of their local elections.

A question on the April ballot asks whether the towns should be authorized to forgo annual municipal elections "if the number of candidates who have filed for a particular office is equal to the number of positions in the office to be filled by the election?"

A change made last year in state law allows cities, towns or villages with populations of 1,000 or fewer to pass the ordinance, with voter approval. In Cape Girardeau County, Gordonville, Oak Ridge, Pocahontas, Allenville and Whitewater will vote on the issue. Neighboring Scott County has voters in Lambert and Morley making the decision.

If the measure is approved, it would stay in effect for six years. After that, it would head back to the ballot for approval.

In each town, elections often go uncontested, making the opportunity to opt out of elections -- and the costs associated with them -- a potentially appealing one. Stuart Haynes, policy and membership associate for the Missouri Municipal League, said elections can be very expensive for cities.

"When you look at a small town and you look at the cost of an election, it can be a significant portion of their budget going just toward an election," he said. "And in a situation where you don't have any [competing] candidates, the idea is that why spend that money when the number of people filed equals the number of positions to be filled?"

Election costs may vary, depending on factors such as the items on the ballot.

The question to forego uncontested municipal elections does come with a trade-off. If approved, the measure would eliminate write-in candidates. It's not uncommon to see small towns in either county elect a write-in candidate to a position.

After a town approves the measure, it's possible voters could later decide it's not fair to those who decide at the last moment to run a write-in campaign. Haynes said that's where the measure's six-year life span comes in.

"I think the reason the Legislature did say they're going to have to bring it back to the voters in six years is so that there's still a chance for write-in candidates, because [the measure] takes away the write-in opportunity," he said.

Should voters say "yes" to foregoing uncontested elections, Haynes said another concern could crop up.

"The other thing is, when you start doing that -- I think there's already, to some extent, there's a little bit of disconnect between the voters and what's going on at city hall and when you stop having elections, then it even, potentially, can get even more disconnected," he said.

The measure requires election authorities to publish a notice with the names of the candidates assuming the office, if no election is held.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Lambert, Mo.

Morley, Mo.

Gordonville, Mo.

Allenville, Mo.

Oak Ridge, Mo.

Pocahontas, Mo.

Whitewater, Mo.