The flurry of campaign advertising can only mean one thing: it is an election year. Besides your municipal, statewide and national elected officials, the 2016 presidential election is on the horizon as well. Voters will choose in November which candidate will lead our great country for the next four years. But before the presidential election can take place, the various political parties must trim the list of candidates to only one, since only one candidate per party may appear on a presidential ballot.
The parties choose their preferred candidate by holding primary elections in the states. These elections can take place as primary elections, caucuses, and conventions, depending on the party of your choice.
The Presidential Preference Primary will be held at your local polling place on March 15, 2016. Within the depths of this process, each political party will choose a candidate to run for president.
Municipal elections will be held on April 5, 2016. These elected officials hold city offices such as mayor, city council members, municipal judges, and other positions as allocated by your local community.
On August 2, 2016, the primary election is held to elect statewide offices for governor, attorney general, state treasurer, auditor, U.S. senator and representatives, as well as members of the Missouri General Assembly.
Finally, the presidential election will be held November 8, 2016, to elect the leader of the free world, the most important position in the country.
As you make your voting decisions this year, please do some research, find out what each candidate truly stands for, and make an intelligent choice. Remember, every vote counts. Your elected officials will be making decisions and using your tax dollars on your behalf. It is my challenge to you to become an educated voter.
As always, I encourage my constituents to contact me throughout the year with comments, questions or suggestions by calling my office at (573) 751-5713. To find more information about the bills I sponsor, visit www.senate.mo.gov/brown. Thank you for reading this and for your participation in state government.