With another election on the horizon, I would like to take time and thank those who make these elections possible. There are a slew of county clerks and people who put in a long day of work, just so you and I can stand in line and make our voices heard through the voting process.
Every four years, regular citizens run for an office with a seemingly easy task. From there, county clerks help oversee each election that happens in the county. Sometimes, there may be one question on a ballot that will make the difference between having, or not having, a new sewer treatment district. Sometimes, it is for the presidency. No matter the reason, the county clerk’s office has to be ready for each and every election.
Add to this the poll workers who are necessary for any election to work. No matter how big or small any county may be, there will still be any number of precincts. This means the clerk’s office will need a certain number of people who can be at a polling place long before the polls open at 6 a.m. These people will have to be brought up to date on what criteria to use to verify who you are. They have to know how to use a voting machine, which way to turn the ballot, where to take it after a person has voted and any number of other aspects critical to the voting process.
All of this was on our minds when the Legislature passed a sweeping voter ID bill earlier this year. Lawmakers looked at the issues other states have had in recent years, along with the successes Missouri has continued to have, to put together a comprehensive law that ensures Missourians continue to have the ability to vote in the safest and most secure manner possible. This new law was backed by a Cole County judge, who recently sided with the voter ID aspect of the law.
Thank you to all of the county clerks in the great northwest part of our state. Thank you to those who take time to get to the polling places long before 6 a.m., and will still be there after polls close at 7 p.m. It is all of you who make voting easier for all of us. For this, we owe all of you a debt of gratitude.
As always, please feel free to call, email or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is (573) 751-1415, my email is dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 332, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.