St. Charles County, MO

10/01/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/02/2024 07:46

Getting Ready for the Big Vote

More than 200,000 voters in St. Charles County are expected to participate in the November election.

That's a whopping 75% voter turnout projected, among the county's 295,000 registered voters.

"It's the one that people leave dishes in the sink for, the one they don't want to miss, and we'll be ready," says Elections Director Kurt Bahr.

For the first time this year, a sample ballot will be sent to every registered voter-not just one to each household. The sample ballot will tell you where to vote. (There are more than 100 polling places.)

Absentee voting began Sept. 24. Starting Oct. 22, voters can cast their ballot ahead of Election Day in person at Election Authority headquarters in St. Peters and Element Church in Wentzville. Bahr expects to see 500-1,000 people daily show up.

The public is invited to attend the voting machines accuracy test scheduled for Oct. 24 at 10 a.m. at election headquarters.

"Everything is tested beforehand to make sure our County elections are safe, secure and transparent," Bahr says.

Important dates this month:

  • October 9 - Last day to register to vote
  • October 15 - Look for sample ballot in your mail
  • October 22 - No-excuse, in-person absentee voting starts
  • October 24 - Voting machines accuracy test

Between now and the election, the full-time staff is helped by a group of some 60 intermittent employees who help with increased phone calls and questions from the public.

"It's a busy time and it's an exciting time," Bahr says. "But it's generally a little more stressful than happy, just because of the volume. It also depends on the feel of the election. When voters are feeling angst, that adds stress to the office, and when they're feeling more positive, we feel that, too."

Election judges must also be hired this month. Bahr's staff will train 1,000 election judges (with equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans) to run the County's 105 polling places on Election Day Nov. 5.

Review all information before the election at sccmo.org/Elections.