The Greene County Clerk’s office announced voting details ahead of the Aug. 8 special municipal election in Springfield, in which a 3-percent sales tax on recreational marijuana is alone on the ballot.
The election, which will only take place in Springfield, was called when the City Council voted unanimously to put the measure on the ballot on May 22.
Absentee voting will start on Tuesday, June 27, for eligible voters who are unable to go to their polling place on Aug. 8.
In-person absentee voting will be available at the Greene County Elections Center, located at 1126 N. Boonville Ave. in Springfield, Monday-Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., up to and including the day prior to the election, according to a press release from the clerk’s office.
In order to be able to vote absentee by mail, voters are required to submit a handwritten request or complete the fillable form available at https://vote.greenecountymo.gov. These requests must be signed by the voters and received in the Office of the County Clerk no later than 5 p.m. on July 26. Mailed ballots must be voted, notarized, returned by mail, and received in the Office of the County Clerk before 7 p.m. on Aug. 8.
The release outlines reasons for which voter may submit an absentee ballot:
- Absence on Election Day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote;
- Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability on Election Day, including a person who is primarily responsible for the physical care of a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or disability and resides at the same address;
- Religious belief or practice;
- Employment as an election authority or by an election authority at a location other than such voter’s polling place, a first responder, a health care worker, or a member of law enforcement;
- Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained;
- Certified participation in the address confidentiality program established under RSMo 589.660 to 589.681 because of safety concerns.
In-person absentee voters must present one of the following:
- A nonexpired Missouri driver or non-driver license;
- A nonexpired military ID, including a veteran’s ID card;
- A nonexpired United States passport;
- Another photo ID issued by the United States or the state of Missouri which is either not expired or expired after the date of the most recent general election.
The Springfield City Council voted 9-0 to send a 3 percent sales tax on recreational marijuana to the ballot. (Photo by Shannon Cay)
Ballot measure approved by council in May
The revenue from the tax, if approved, would be used by the city government to fund public safety, mental health, housing and substance abuse services.
Recreational marijuana is already taxed — the 3-percent tax would be in addition to Springfield’s base sales tax, which is 8.1 percent, and the state’s 6 percent tax, which was authorized in the amendment. Rather than authorizing local governments to implement the additional tax, Article XIV Section 2 of the Missouri Constitution gives them the ability to put it on the ballot, and let the voters decide.
The ballot language approved by the City Council reads:
“Shall the City of Springfield, Missouri, impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3 percent) on the retail sale of adult use marijuana with proceeds from such tax to be used for public safety, mental health services, housing, and substance abuse services?”
Because the City of Springfield is the only entity with a measure on the ballot, it will bear the entire cost of the election, which has been estimated to be about $250,000.
Jack McGee
Jack McGee is the government affairs reporter at the Springfield Daily Citizen. He previously covered politics and business for the Daily Citizen. He’s an MSU graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and a minor political science. Reach him at jmcgee@sgfcitizen.org or (417) 837-3663. More by Jack McGee