Candidate filing for the April 6, 2021 election has started, with openings on the Board of Aldermen and Grain Valley School Board.
     In Ward I, Tom Cleaver’s seat is up for election. In Ward II, Nancy Totton’s seat is  open, and Shea Bass’s seat is open in Ward III. Cleaver and Totton have filed for election; Bass has not filed as of January 4th. In Ward I, Dale Arnold has filed as a candidate. In Ward II, Darren Mills has filed to run for Totton’s seat, and Kristen Rising has filed as a candidate in Ward III. Each aldermen position is a two-year term.
     Candidates for City offices may file during normal business hours (8:00am—5:00pm, Monday—Friday, excluding the hours of Noon—1:00pm, starting December 15th and ending at 5:00pm on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 in the Office of the City Clerk, 711 Main ST. The filing fee is $5.00.
     Qualifications and instructions for filing procedures are available in the office of the City Clerk.
     Two seats, currently occupied by Jared English and Eddie Saffell, are up for election on the Grain Valley School Board this spring. According to Brad Welle, Deputy Superintendent of Student and Community Services, both have filed to run for another term. As of Monday, January 4th, no other candidates have filed. The school does not plan for a ballot measure this year.
     Filing a declaration of candidacy may be done in the District Offices located at 31606 E. Pink Hill Road, during regular office hours. The district offices will be closed on January 18th. Therefore, the district will not be accepting candidate filing on that date. The district office will be closed, and filing will not occur on days that the school district is closed due to inclement weather and filing will not occur on days that the school district is closed due to a COVID related event.
     Registration will be by appointment only and made by contacting the board secretary at 816-847-5006 x1026. Two positions with a (3) three-year term will be subject to election. Candidates will be placed on the ballot according to the order of filing and must wear masks and observe district infection control rules in force at the time of filing.   
    
 

    The Jackson County Election Board reports that as of October 30th, 59,529 absentee/mail-in ballot applications have been processed. This represents 13,000 more absentee applications (in person and by mail) than the past three presidential elections combined. The total number of registered voters for the November 2020 election is 246,296, up 20,521 compared to 2018.
 
     Tips and reminders from the Jackson County Election Board:

1. In-person absentee voting will be held on Monday, November 2nd from 8:30am until 5:00pm. Absentee voting requires a reason for voting absentee.  Voters 65 and older automatically qualify for the at-risk category for COVID-19. The Absentee Voting Office is at 110 N Liberty in Independence.
2. Curbside voting at the Absentee Office at 110 N Liberty is available only for disabled and immunocompromised voters on Monday from 8:30am until 5:00pm. 
3. The Jackson County Election Board will have special accommodations on on Election Day for individuals who have tested positive or who are quarantining due to COVID-19.  Drive-through voting for these voters will be available on Election Day from 6:00am – 7:00pm behind the Absentee Office at 110 N Liberty in Independence.  
4. Only Kansas City residents may vote at Arrowhead Stadium.  Voters in Raytown, Grandview, Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs, Independence, Oak Grove, Grain Valley, and other areas in eastern Jackson County must do their absentee voting at 110 N Liberty in Independence. 
5. Voters who requested a mail-in ballot (one that did not require a reason for requesting it), must mail it back to the Election Board and the envelope must be notarized.  As there is not enough time to return ballots by mail to meet the November 3rd deadline, voters may go to the Independence Post Office on Lexington Street and ask the post office to “hand cancel” their ballot envelope so that it goes directly into the Election Board’s post office box. 
6. Absentee ballots that were mailed to voters can be dropped off at the Absentee Drop-off Office at 112 N Liberty, Independence. There is no drop box. Voters must enter the office and present their ID.   
7. The Election Board must receive ballots by 7:00pm on Election Day. 
8. Eastern Jackson County voters can find their polling location and their sample ballot on the Jackson County Election Board website at www.jcebmo.org.  Click on “VOTER LOOKUP.” Polls will be open Tuesday, November 3rd from 6:00am - 7:00pm. If you are in line at 7:00pm, you will be able to vote. Voters must bring their ID and wear a mask.

     At a time when it seems difficult to find issues everyone can agree on, we think most will welcome the end of election advertisements, mail, and signs after Election Day next Tuesday, November 3rd. 
     In-person Absentee voting will continue through 5:00pm on Monday, November 2nd. Absentee voting requires that you have a reason for voting absentee.  Anyone who is 65 or older automatically qualifies for this election as they are in an at-risk category for COVID-19.  The Absentee Voting Office is at 110 N Liberty in Independence. 
     If you’ve requested a mail-in ballot (one that did not require a reason for requesting it), you must mail it back to the Jackson County Election Board and the envelope must be notarized.
     If you have an absentee ballot that was mailed to you, you can mail it back to the Jackson County Election Board or drop it off at the Absentee Drop-off Office at 112 N Liberty, Independence. There is no drop box.  You must go in and present your ID.
     The Election Board must receive your ballot by 7:00pm on Election Day.
     The Jackson County Election Board will have special accommodations on Saturdays and on Election Day for individuals who have tested positive or who are quarantining because of COVID-19.  Drive-through voting will be available from 1:00pm-3:30pm on Saturday and all day on Election Day behind the Absentee Office at 110 N Liberty in Independence.  Any voter who has tested positive for COVID-19 and has an absentee or mail-in ballot that needs notarization may also use the special drive-through hours on Saturdays.
     Voters can find their polling location and their sample ballot on our website at www.jcebmo.org.  Click on “VOTER LOOKUP.”
      The Jackson County Election Board reported the following statistics as of October 23rd:
 
VOTER REGISTRATION
2020 – 244,454 total registrations
2018 – 224,452 total registrations
2016 – 230,465 total registrations
2012 – 216,459 total registrations
2008 – 234,109 total registrations
 
ABSENTEE VOTING
2020 – 49,983 Absentee/mail-in applications processed (18,285 in-person) – as of 8am on 10/23/20
2016 – 16,321 Absentee applications processed (9,694 in-person)
2012 – 14,222 Absentee applications processed (8,453 in-person)
2008 – 16,167 Absentee applications processed (10,122 in-person)
 
     The Election Board reports over 10,000 more registered voters than our previous record in 2008. The Election Board has processed over 3,000 more absentee applications (in person and by mail) than they processed for all three of the last presidential elections combined as of October 23rd.
     Polls are open for those who plan to vote on Election Day from 6:00am—7:00pm.
 

     Jackson County voters will be asked to decide if the statues of Andrew Jackson located outside the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City and the Historic Truman Courthouse in Independence should be removed. The statues have been discussed by the legislature for nearly a year. Calls for the statues of the country’s seventh president to be removed intensified this summer in the wake of protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
     In a June statement, County Executive Frank White called for their removal.
     “Countless men, women, and children come through the doors of our courthouses every day. And every day, racism and discrimination are staring them in the face,” White said in the statement.
     County legislators voted to put the question on the November ballot. White vetoed the decision, with legislators overriding the veto 6-3.
     A simple majority is required for passage of the measure.
   Polls are open 6:00am—7:00pm on Tuesday, November 3rd. Absentee voting in person continues at 110 N. Liberty, Independence. The absentee drop off location is located at 112 N. Liberty, Independence. For more information, visit www.jcebmo.org. 
 

     Jackson County voters will be asked  November 3rd to decide on whether to add a fee of up to $1.00 for all subscribers to communication services that features the ability to call 911, with revenue going to the County’s E-911 System Fund.
     The measure is an attempt to fix Jackson County’s current funding mechanism for the service, which is supported entirely by a 7% landline surcharge. Most 911 calls are made by cellphones and the number of landline users continues to decline. Jackson County states the declining revenues threaten emergency response.
     The measure, if passed, would impose a fee of up to $1.00 on any device capable of contacting 911, which would include cellphones. Fees would be included on service bills. The fee would replace the current funding mechanism of 7% service charge on landline users, representing a decrease in monthly fees for these users. Fees will be assessed based on the address associated with the cellphone account or landline within Jackson County.
     The fee will be assessed on a maximum of 100 lines per location/address. Fees will be capped at 100 lines for businesses or organizations with more than 100 lines.
     The measure restricts the spending of the new fee revenues to the 911 system, so none of the funds can be spent for other purposes by the County.
     If passed, the new fee will go into effect on April 1, 2021.
     Polls are open 6:00am—7:00pm on Tuesday, November 3rd. Absentee voting in person continues at 110 N. Liberty, Independence. The absentee drop off location is located at 112 N. Liberty, Independence. For more information, visit www.jcebmo.org. 
 

     Running unopposed in District 32 of the Missouri House of Representatives is incumbent Rep. Jeff Coleman, Republican from Grain Valley.
     A former Grain Valley Alderman, Coleman currently serves on the Grain Valley School Board.
     In the House, Coleman was assigned to serve as the Vice Chair of the Economic Development Committee, the Professional Registration and Licensing Committee, and the Insurance Policy Committee.
     In addition to his legislative duties, Coleman is a financial advisor specializing in retirement income.
     Coleman has served as mayor pro tem on the Grain Valley Board of Aldermen, and as the president of both the Grain Valley Economic Development Corporation and the Grain Valley Industrial Development Committee. In 2012, he was named Grain Valley Citizen of Year.
     Coleman is a member of the Community of Christ Church.
     Born in Independence, Coleman attended Oak Grove High School and Graceland University. Coleman currently resides in Grain Valley with his wife, Debbie. They have seven children.
     In a recent interview with Valley News, Coleman said he is focused on working for everyone in his district, not just those who share his party affiliation.
     “It’s about making relationships and doing what’s right for the districts. We have to battle against our own party sometimes, just like we battle against the Democrats. I am not down there for a party. I am there for the issues,” Coleman said.
     Asked for an example of a time he worked across party lines for the benefit of the district, Coleman pointed to legislation signed into law last July which provided incentives to General Motors in exchange for continued investment in the state. Coleman said conservative voices on the House side were trying to make deals with Democrats to defeat the bill, claiming it was corporate welfare. Coleman said he used a bill he was working on to extend a tax credit benefiting local engineering firm Burns & McDonnell to successfully convince Democratic representatives from the Kansas City metro area to support the General Motors measure. 
 

     Missouri voters will be asked to decide on extending term limits for several statewide elected officials, including Leiutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, and Attorney General.  Constitutional Amendment No. 1 would extend the two term limit that applies to the Governor and Treasurer positions to these statewide offices. The measure is not estimated to have any impact on taxes or create any cost savings.
     Missouri is one of eight states to limit the governor to two terms in a lifetime and one of 23 states with no term limits for lieutenant governors.
     Thirty-one states, including Missouri, set no term limits for secretaries of state, and Missouri is one of 33 states with no term limits for attorneys general.
     In 1970, Missouri voters approved a two-term limit for state treasurer, and is one of five states to limit the treasurer to two terms. The state auditor position is currently without term limits; 16 other states have no term limits for auditors.
     The bill’s sponsor, Missouri State Senator Tony Luetkemeyer (R), stated the voters have indicated support for term limits and the measure is intended to bring consistency to top level positions.
     “The voters of Missouri have made it clear they emphatically support term limits. This measure will bring consistency to our term limits for all state officials and prevent them from becoming career politicians,” Luetkemeyer said.
     Reached for comment, State Senator Mike Cierpiot stated, “I support extending term limits to all offices”.  In a recent interview with Valley News, State Representative Jeff Coleman said he is not in favor of term limits.
 

     Voters will be asked to reconsider how state legislative districts are determined through Amendment 3 on the November ballot, after voting to approve Amendment 1 in 2018. Voters approved Amendment 1 with 62% of the vote.
     Amendment 3 would return the state to the use of bipartisan commissions appointed by the governor for legislative redistricting and eliminate the nonpartisan state demographer, created by the approval of Amendment 1 in 2018. 
     The bipartisan commissions would be renamed the House Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission and the Senate Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission and consist of 20 members each. The amendment would also change the criteria used to draw district maps. 
     Included in the amendment are slight changes to the threshold of lobbyist gifts and campaign contribution limits for state senate campaigns. It would  change the threshold of lobbyists' gifts from $5 to $0 and lower the campaign contribution limit for state senate campaigns from $2,500 to $2,400.
    Opponents of Amendment 3 contend it is an effort to undo the will of the people, using the issues of reducing lobbyist gifts and campaign contribution limits to detract from an effort to allow lobbyists and politicians to rig district maps.
     A bipartisan group of leaders have come out in opposition to Amendment 3, including former Republican Senator Jack Danforth, former Democratic Senator Jean Carnahan, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, as well as AARP Missouri, AFL-CIO Missouri, NAACP Missouri Conference, and Missouri NEA.
     State Senator Mike Cierpiot (R – 30th District) and State Representative Jeff Coleman (R – 32nd District) both support Amendment 3.
     “There are detractors who say that we are just trying to change to a method that would allow us to maintain our super majority. That is not the whole process here. We are trying to keep things the same so that we can continue to try to represent everyone instead of having districts carved up that are not representative of those communities,” Coleman said.
     “Everything they (Amendment 3 opponents) say we are doing now is what they were trying to do with Amendment 1. They reduced lobbyist gifts down to $5. Why didn’t they reduce it down to zero? We are going back and trying to fix these things that should have been fixed the first time around.”
     “Our caucus hired a demographer to draw district lines based on the priorities of the new law. The demographer said there’s no way to draw lines that way and create a district in the way in which the law states, which says the most important thing is to create a district that is competitive and as close to a 50/50 split as possible,” Coleman said.
    Cierpiot also points to the weaknesses he sees in Amendment 1 as his reasoning for supporting Amendment 3.
     “I support Amendment 3 to correct the weaknesses that passed in 2018.  The old, original redistricting plans only moved forward if a bipartisan majority of a redistricting committee (14 of 20, 70% of 10 Democrats & 10 Republicans) voted for it, stopping partisan tampering. The new way turns that on its head and now it takes 14 of 20 to stop it.  That means if the Democrats are happy and the Republicans are being hurt it goes into effect, or vice versa.  If anyone questions the intent of those pushing this plan in 2018, ask yourself why they chose the auditor’s office to control it when other election responsibilities rest with the Secretary of State. I’m confident it was because they were quite certain the Auditor would be a Democrat,” Cierpiot said.
     “There are many other parts of the 2018 amendment that are problematic. I haven’t found anyone that can say how it’s going to work with certainty. Compact and contiguous are now low on the list of descriptors for new districts where they were primary. In my view, communities of interest are what politics are all about. They must now be divided to align with the 2018 amendment.”
     “And to satisfy the description of Non Partisan Demographer you have to be out of partisan politics for 4 years, meaning former Governor Nixon or former Senator Ashcroft qualify,” Cierpiot said.
     Clean Missouri, the committee that sponsored Amendment 1 in 2018, is leading the campaign in opposition of the amendment. The committee maintains Amendment 3 is a last ditch effort to set up a process that will affect district maps through 2030. Opponents maintain the amendment is an effort to create unfair, noncompetitive districts to limit voters’ ability to hold leaders accountable, not count children and non-citizens, and create unprecedented restrictions on citizens’ abilities to challenge unfair maps in court.
     The full resolution (Senate Joint Resolution 38) outlining details of the proposed amendment can be found at www.grainvalleynews.com.
 

     Absentee and mail-in voting began September 22nd in Jackson County for the November 3rd election.  Ballots have been mailed to voters who have requested absentee or mail-in ballots. The deadline to request an absentee or mail-in ballot is October 21st. Ballots must be received by 7:00pm on Election Day (November 3rd).
     The Jackson County Election Board absentee office is located at 110 N. Liberty, Independence. The office is open Monday—Friday, 8:30am—5:00pm. In addition, the office will be open the following Saturdays: from 8:30am—12:30pm:
October 10, 2020
October 17, 2020
October 24, 2020
October 31, 2020
    
     A chart outlining eligibility and application procedures is provided on page 2. Applications for absentee or mail-in ballots may be found at www.jcebmo.org.