| STATE: Governor | Lt. Governor | Attorney General | Treasurer | 9th Dist. U.S. Congress | 23rd Dist. State Rep. | 25th Dist. State Rep. |
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| COUNTY: Assessor | Public Administrator | Southern District Commissioner | Other races |
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VOTER INFO Registering to vote: If you haven’t done this yet, it’s too late for this primary. In the future, you’ll need to be registered by the fourth Wednesday before an election. If you want to vote in the Nov. 4 general election, for example, you’ll have to register by Oct. 8. You can visit the Boone County clerk’s Web site for details on where and how to register. Where to vote: You can find your polling place at the clerk’s Web site as well. Click on the link “Find your polling place,” then type in your name. Your polling location will be provided. A list of all polling places is also available on the Web site. If you've moved since last election: You’ll need to file a change of address before you vote. You can do this at the clerk’s Web site by completing the “change of address” form online or printing the form and mailing it to Wendy S. Noren, Boone County Clerk, 801 E. Walnut St., Room 236, Columbia, MO 65201-7731. Another option is to simply mail in your name, old address, new address, mailing address (if different), date of birth, telephone number (optional), signature and the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. When to vote: The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. What to take: Bring some form of identification to the polling location. Acceptable forms include a Boone County voter ID card, a driver’s license, a state-issued ID, an ID card from an institution of higher education, a federally issued identification such as a passport, a Social Security card, or a Medicaid or Medicare card, a copy of a current bank statement, a utility bill, or a government document that shows your name and address. What to expect: Boone County’s optical scan voting system requires the voter to darken a circle next to the candidate they choose. In the primary election, voters must request a party-specific ballot. Some polling places also will have electronic voting machines. If you can't go: Absentee ballots are available for those unable to vote in person on Tuesday because of a temporary absence from the county, religious beliefs, military service, incarceration (but retained voting privileges) or confinement due to injury or illness. You can apply for an absentee ballot through the Elections Division of the Boone County Clerk’s Office or vote in person in the office until 5 p.m. the day before the election. For more information: Call the voter information hot line at 875-8683. |
RACE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR By SARAH M. PANUSKA COLUMBIA — The race to fill the office of Missouri lieutenant governor is unique in that there are 10 people competing for the job. That’s three Republicans, six Democrats, one Libertarian and a member of the Constitution Party. The candidates range in age from 36 to 84 and come from many different walks of life. By statute, the lieutenant governor is an obscure post. Besides being the ex-officio president of the Missouri Senate, sitting on several boards and commissions and advocating for seniors, the duties of the office are not clearly defined. But each candidate has his or her own ideas and plans to bring to the table.
Peter Kinder He thinks the economy is a major concern and that fuel prices should be reduced by making increased use of domestic energy resources. Taxes, Kinder says, should be kept low. In addition, he wants increases in the budget for K-12 schools, but he also supports and appreciates the role that charter schools play when it comes to inner-city education.
Paul Douglas Sims
Paul Douglas Sims, 48, of Lecoma is a former firefighter who now works as a cattle farmer. He says the economy is sloping downward. One way Sims wants to combat the burden on Missouri families is by bringing producers and consumers closer together. He supports low taxes and says senior citizens should have access to affordable health care and education. He says teachers should be paid more fairly for their work so that they will be motivated and enthusiastic about their jobs. 
Arthur Hodge Sr. He thinks public education is failing black children and poor white children, and he supports a complete overhaul of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Hodge supports limits on how much interest pay day loan establishments can charge in order to ensure that seniors are not taken advantage of.
Sam Page Sam Page, 43, of Van Buren is the 82nd District state representative. He says government needs to ensure that the state retains jobs. He supports incentives for companies who hire in-state and says that those businesses that have taken incentives and money from the government only to move overseas, should return that money. Page also says that higher education has become less and less affordable for the middle class, so he supports expansion of the A+ scholarship program. 
Michael E. Carter Michael E. Carter, 36, of Hazelwood is a senior lecturer at St. Louis University and a real estate and business attorney. He thinks that one of the state’s priorities should be stabilizing the housing market because it is one of the first steps in getting the economy back on track. He supports fiscal responsibility in government and says that baby boomers are not seniors in the traditional sense of the word because they have specific and unique needs from past generations. 
Richard Charles Tolbert Richard Charles Tolbert, 63, of Kansas City owns a diversified mini-conglomerate that develops property and businesses. He says the best way to fight rising fuel costs is to combine the efforts of government and the private sector. He opposes unnecessary tax increases and says government should be more mindful of how it spends taxpayers’ money. He favors a universal health care system in which every Missourian would pay and be covered. 
Becky Plattner Becky Plattner, 50, of Grand Pass is the presiding commissioner of Saline County. She says the economy is holding its own right now and that the important thing is that it is not moving backward. She says adequate taxes are necessary to expand and grow the infrastructure of the state and that there is no alternative. She says the office of lieutenant governor should help ensure the concerns of the people are heard if local representation fails.
Mary Williams Mary Williams, 51, of Jefferson City has not responded to repeated contacts by the Missourian.
C. Lillian Metzger C. Lillian Metzger, 84, of South St. Louis is a retired paralegal who serves as chairwoman for the Northeast Missouri Silver-Haired Delegation. She says the disappearing middle class is the most serious economic issue facing the state. She says the state Senate must develop a tax system that both sides of the aisle are happy with, and she thinks government should focus on the independent living and transportation needs of senior citizens.
Teddy Fleck Teddy Fleck, 46, of Springfield is unopposed in the primary. He served in the Army and works as a truck driver. He thinks the state is becoming unfriendly to businesses large and small. He says taxes should be lowered so that manufacturing jobs that employ thousands will remain in the state. He says parents should have the right to choose which schools their children will attend and thinks there should be more tax cuts available to them to ease the burden of private school costs.
Jim Rensing Jim Rensing, 41, of St. Louis is unopposed in the primary. He says that a scaled-down government would be better for the economy. He thinks people are overtaxed and supports the Liberty Amendment, which would abolish the federal income tax and the Federal Reserve. Rensing says education should be financed at the state level. He supports the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education.
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