Recorder of deeds, US Senate race among ballot higlights
Voters in Platte County and throughout the state of Missouri will head to the polls next Tuesday, Aug. 2 for the primary election, with one of the highlights being the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator.
In addition, Platte County Republicans will decide their nominee for county recorder of deeds. Longtime recorder Gloria Boyer is retiring, and Republicans will choose from Travis Youmans of Kansas City in Platte County and Christopher L. Wright of Ferrelview.
The Democrats have no candidate for recorder, so the Republican primary winner will seemingly have a clear path through the November general election.
Wendy Flanigan, a director for the Platte County Board of Elections, is predicting voter turnout of around 34 percent for Tuesday’s primary.
“We have had voter turnout in the mid 30% range in 2018 and 2020 primary elections, so I will give you a 34 percent turnout prediction,” Flanigan told The Landmark this week.
Flanigan reminds the public that all voters should be prepared to declare their political party preference when they check-in at the polls on Tuesday.
“Many people believe that we register by party in Missouri. We do not,” she said.
Flanigan said the number of residents voting by absentee “has picked up this past week.”
Absentee voters must fall within one of the reasons for absentee voting, such as out of town on election day, illness/disability, etc.
“We do not have early voting this election,” Flanigan explained. That will come in November, she said. “There will be a two-week ‘no excuse’ absentee voting period in effect for the general election in November,” Flanigan said.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
For a complete list of polling sites and candidates, see the legal notice on page A-9 of this edition of The Landmark.
COUNTY POSTS
Platte County countywide positions to be filled this year are presiding commissioner, county clerk, county auditor, recorder of deeds, county collector and prosecuting attorney.
All those positions are currently held by Republicans.
Boyer is retiring as recorder of deeds and Nancy Armstrong is stepping away from the county clerk’s post and Ron Schieber is not seeking re-election as presiding commissioner.
Republican candidates for each post:
Recorder: Youmans and Wright.
Presiding commissioner: Scott Fricker.
County clerk: Jera Pruitt.
Auditor: Kevin Robinson, incumbent.
Collector: Sheila Palmer, incumbent.
Prosecutor: Eric Zahnd, incumbent.
Democrat candidates for county offices include:
Presiding commissioner: John DeFoor.
County clerk: Rebecca Nafzinger.
THE SENATE RACE
Longtime US Senator from Missouri Roy Blunt is retiring and the race to choose his successor has dominated the statewide political scene in recent weeks. Top candidates in the Republican primary are viewed as former governor Eric Greitens, current state attorney general Eric Schmitt and Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler.
The list of Democrats vying to be their party’s nominee for senator include Gena Ross of Platte City. Major contenders among the Democrats are considered to be Lucas Kunce of Independence and Spencer Toder of Independence and Trudy Busch Valentine of St. Louis, according to recent polling.