Primary voters to tab nominees Tuesday

Aug. 2—State and county primary races along with a property tax proposal by the city of Joplin and a bond issue for the Carthage School District are expected to draw about a fourth of registered voters to polls in Jasper and Newton counties Tuesday.

Joplin voters will decide Proposition Public Safety, an increase of $1 on property and personal property taxes city officials have designated to largely fund a higher pay scale for police officers and firefighters as well as equipment for them and construction of an eighth fire station in a central location. Voters in the Carthage School District will decide the fate of an $18 million bond issue to build a performing arts center on the campus of Carthage High School.

Missouri voters also will decide primary races for the U.S. Senate seat of Roy Blunt, who is retiring. In Southwest Missouri, voters will chose candidates for the 7th District seat of U.S. Rep. Billy Long, R-Springfield, who is running for Blunt's seat.

Locally, there is a primary race in Jasper County among GOP candidates for presiding commissioner, with the winner facing Democrat challenger Josh Shackles in November. Republican voters also will select from three candidates for associate judge and two for county auditor.

There is four-way race for presiding commissioner in Newton County. Republican voters in Newton County also will select a county auditor in a three-way race.

Primaries also are on tap in District 32 in the Missouri Senate, between Bill White and Jill Carter, and for House District 161, between Lane Roberts and Thomas Ross.

With no challengers, winners of those primary races will take office in the fall.

"In August 2020, we had turnout of 26% of the voters. I'm hoping with Blunt's seat, the presiding commissioner and auditor races, we'll have a 30 to 40% turnout," but it could be less, said Newton County Clerk Tami Owens.

There have been three changes to precinct locations in Newton County.

A polling place in Stella has been moved from the senior center there to City Hall. In Neosho, voting has been moved from Neosho High School, where there is construction going on, to the Hillcrest Church of Christ, 1037 South St. The Thurman precinct has been moved from Saginaw to the Christ Community Church, 2700 E. 44th St. in Joplin.

Jasper County Clerk Charlie Davis predicts a 25% turnout in Jasper County. He said he relies on historical numbers from recent years, including August 2020, when there was a 21.9% turnout, and August 2018, when 26.81% of registered voters turned out. Absentee votes numbered 1,143 in 2018 and 1,311 in 2020. Davis said 1,246 votes had been cast by Monday morning, and he expected that number to reach about 1,300.

There is a Jasper County precinct relocation in Webb City. Voters will go to the newly constructed American Legion Hall in the 900 block of Main Street rather than the former legion hall a block north that has been sold to the school district.

Carthage voters in Precinct 4 will find barricades up at their usual polling place, the Church of the Nazarene, 2000 Grand Ave. The county clerk said there are barricades because of the Marian Days celebration, but police will allow voters to come through the barricades to vote.

Precincts will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters will need a voter identification card, a driver's license, or a current utility bill to obtain a ballot. Clerks said the state's new photo identification law, which requires identification bearing a photo of the voter, does not go into effect until Aug. 28.