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Early Observations Point To Strong Voter Turnout

A touch-screen voting machine. Most voters in St. Louis County are expected to use the touch-screen machines in tomorrow's municipal elections.
(via Flickr/lowjumpingfrog)
A touch-screen voting machine. Most voters in St. Louis County are expected to use the touch-screen machines in tomorrow's municipal elections.

Will be updated.

Early indications are that Missouri officials' prediction of a strong turnout for the election might be accurate.

The Missouri Secretary of State's Office is reporting there were long lines shortly after polls opened at 6 a.m. today. The office is also receiving many phone calls from people checking their registration or verifying their polling places.

The Kappa House, a polling place in midtown St. Louis, had a steady stream of voters late this morning. 19-year-old Treniece Stockard was one of them. Among her concerns? Student loans.

"My financial aid and my loans, that is the most important thing," Stockard said. "When I heard they were trying to cut that, I was like 'wait, we really need that.' That's a very important topic for me at least because I attend Harris-Stowe State University."

The state of Missouri had predicted 72 percent of the state's registered voters would cast ballots.

St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay says he is pleased with voter turnout so far today.

Slay checked in at St. Joan of Arc school in south St. Louis. He says, as of this morning, turnout has been outstanding.

"There are some long lines at many of the voting places that I've seen. This one has, not too long of a line, others early this morning had a bigger line. But I think this is an indication that people are really coming out and voting."

St. Louis voters are deciding on a number of issues, including cutting the size of the city's Board of Alderman in half.

Secretary of State spokesperson Stacie Temple says those who haven’t voted yet should expect more long lines as more people get off work.

“Make sure that you take the proper voting identification with you, which is the same as it has been for previous elections…so that’s a voter ID card or a driver’s license, a student ID or a bank statement,” Temple said.

Temple also says to make sure you know where your polling place is located before you leave and to make sure you’re in line by 7 p.m., which is when polls close in Missouri.

Follow Julie Bierach on Twitter: @jbierach

Follow Marshall Griffin on Twitter: @MarshallGReport

  • See more stories on issues and elections from St. Louis Public Radio, the St. Louis Beacon and Nine Network of Public Media at BeyondNovember.org.

 

Marshal was a political reporter for St. Louis Public Radio until 2018.