MARYVILLE, Mo. — The Nodaway County clerk’s office is a busy place these days as Clerk Melinda Patton and her staff prepare for Patton’s first countywide election since assuming office last June.
Classed as a municipal election, the April 3 vote will give citizens a chance to decide local tax proposals and choose officials for town councils, school boards and a Nodaway County Ambulance District board seat representing a portion of Polk Township.
While this spring’s election appears routine on the surface, the sheer number of ballot issues has posed a challenge for the clerk’s office. Also, due to Nodaway’s large geographical size and political structure, voters residing in the county’s various townships and incorporated communities will mark different ballots depending on where they live.
Patton said this week that some county citizens won’t vote at all because there are no ballot issues to be decided in either Jefferson Township or the Jefferson C-123 School District.
Election developments include a change of location for the “Polk E” precinct polling place in Maryville. In the past Polk E residents have cast ballots at the Maryville R-II School District office just north of Maryville High School.
With construction of a new district office underway, the polling place has been moved to the Church of the Nazarene, located at 1139 S. Munn Ave.
On other fronts, the April vote marks the first in which, under a new state law, voters will be required — with broad exceptions — to present photo identifications.
Patton emphasized that all registered voters, even those without photo IDs, such as a Missouri’s driver’s license, Missouri non-driver license, passport or military identification, will be able to vote by presenting optional non-photo documents and signing a form attesting, under penalty of perjury, that they are who they say they are.
Registered voters with no ID will be allowed to cast “provisional ballots,” which they will place inside an envelope marked with their name, address, date of birth and the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Patton said provisional ballots will be set aside until the voter’s signature can be compared with the signature on their voter-registration form. If the signatures match, the ballot will be counted.
Acceptable non-photo IDs include voter registration cards issued by the clerk’s office; university identification cards, which generally include a photo but aren’t considered “official”; utility bills; and bank statements.
A major component of Missouri’s photo ID law is the availability of non-driver photo IDs issued free of charge by local license offices.
Maryville’s license office, located just off the northeast corner of the square at 408 N. Market across the street from City Hall, is currently issuing non-driver ID’s to residents who present the required three tiers of documentation.
Only one document is required for each tier, with the exception of Social Security numbers, which can be submitted verbally.
Tiers include:
• Proof of U.S. birth or citizenship. A U.S. birth certificate with an embossed, stamped or raised seal issued by a state or local government. Hospital-issued birth certificates are not allowed. Other acceptable documents in this category include U.S. passports (valid or expired); official U.S. certifications of citizenship, naturalization or birth abroad; and photocopies of certified U.S birth certificates issued by a vital records agency if accompanied by a U.S. military identification card or discharge papers.
• Presentation, verbally or using a card, of the applicant’s Social Security number.
• Proof of residential address. Acceptable documents include utility bills, paychecks, government checks, mortgage documents, voter registration cards, property tax receipts, housing rental contracts, bank statements, homeowner insurance policies, auto insurance policies, W-2 or 1099 tax forms, vehicle registration titles, boat registrations or titles, course transcripts for current school year from an educational institution in Missouri, professional licenses (nurse, physician, engineer, etc.) and real estate tax receipts.
A fourth tier of verification applies to people who have changed their names due to marriage or other reasons.
Acceptable name-change documents include certified marriage certificates, divorce decrees, court orders, adoption papers, amended birth certificates, U.S. passports (valid or expired) and Social Security or Medicare cards.
Other election preparations overseen by Patton and her staff include the continuing recruitment of citizens to serve as election officials at poll sites scattered across the county.
Four election judges usually serve at each site, and Patton said judge training will take place March 26 at the Nodaway County Administration Center in Maryville.
On-site absentee voting at the Administration Center is already underway. Registered voters seeking off-site absentee ballots can submit a request in writing by mail, email or fax that includes their name, address, mailing address (if different), signature, date of birth and last four digits of their Social Security number.
Mail requests in care of the county clerk’s office, 403 N. Market St., Maryville, MO, 64468. Fax requests to 660-582-5282 or email them to nodclerk@gmail.com.
Anyone with questions about voting in the April election can call Patton’s office at 660-582-2251.
