Our weekly program Making Democracy Work is a collaboration between KSMU Radio and the League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri. It's hosted and produced by LWV volunteers, and it airs each Monday morning at 9:45 on KSMU.
In this episode of our local program Making Democracy Work, The League's Maggie Castrey speaks with Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller ahead of the November 3 Election.
Castrey: Shane, we know that free, fair, accessible and secure elections are the bedrock of a democracy. We appreciate the efforts of all county clerks and their staffs to maintain election integrity in southwest Missouri. Thank you.
Schoeller: Thank you, Maggie. And just on behalf of all the clerks across southwest Missouri, we concur. It's a bipartisan effort, and we work together hard to make sure that we do have free, fair and accessible and secure elections for everyone.
Castrey: We are talking today about what voters can expect when they go to the polls (Tuesday). Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Are there changes this year we should be prepared for?
Schoeller: Main thing I want to remind our voters that precinct 16-C, and we have a temporary polling location change there, so voters there have normally voted [at] Bissett Elementary. They'll be at York Elementary there at 2100 W. Nichols Street. And then voters at the Library Station there at 27-BC, they're going to be voting at Williams Elementary over off of 2205 W. Kearney. So, we just want to make sure they remember that as they go to vote tomorrow (Tuesday).
Castrey: Were you able to obtain a Democrat and a Republican poll judge for every polling place, and why is that important?
Schoeller: Yes, we have bipartisan teams at all the polling locations. Of course, our supervisory judges have to be one Republican, one Democrat. Other judges have to be bipartisan, so, we've worked hard to make sure we have that. Predominantly, it's going to be one Republican, one Democrat. It may be someone though from a Libertarian Party, Green Party, for example, but we make sure that the bipartisan opposite parties as they work together. And we have done that. And we're grateful for everyone that has stepped in there to be able to make sure that happens for our election tomorrow (Tuesday).
Castrey: What happens if a voter mistakenly goes to the wrong polling place or discovers a problem with their registration?
Schoeller: We train on that during election judge training that we did this past week, and we make sure that everyone knows that when a voter comes in, how to be able to look up what their new address is, how to be able to identify are they going to be at that current polling location or they need to go to new polling location? And they work with that voter. They fill out a new voter registration application form as part of that process. And then if that voter stays, if there's more than one ballot there, they'll identify if they would get a different ballot based upon the new address or if they need to go to the new polling location, they will then send that new polling location with the new polling location address for that voter.
Castrey: Where are the central polling locations this year and who is eligible to vote there?
Schoeller: Central polling locations are for any voter who chooses not to vote at their assigned polling location. And so, if you, for example, want to vote at Missouri State University there at the Welcome Center, you can vote there at 705 S. National. The City Utilities Bus Transit Center at 211 North Main and then at Mercy Hospital there at the main entrance off of 1235 E. Cherokee, that's the south side entrance there. And then at Cox South Hospital there at the north entrance at 3801 S. National. And then they can always come to the courthouse at 940 N. Boonville, the historic courthouse, that is.
Castrey: Are there new or different challenges today with this election compared to years past?
Schoeller: I think the biggest challenge and didn't necessarily impact us here in Greene County and for counties in the 7th Congressional District, as you know, there's been quite a bit of challenges for clerks who were in counties that potentially were going to be changed from one congressional district to another. And so, that has been a challenge that's been going on throughout the year. Of course, we know the courts settled that really even after we started the election work for this particular election. But that was settled for this period of time. And so, I think other than that challenge that we saw, I think we're going forward. Everything's going to look really good for tomorrow (Tuesday).
Castrey: Excellent. What else do voters need to know when they go to the polls tomorrow (Tuesday)?
Schoeller: Main thing we always want to remind voters is bring your photo ID. That's important. It could be your driver's license, non-driver’s license. Maybe it's your passport. You can use that. Of course, members of the military can use their ID as well. And then we always want voters to study your ballot beforehand, so make sure you know the issues on the ballot. There's going to be a number of issues that are important to voters. Even if you live inside the city of Springfield, there's issues for voters there that are specific to Springfield. And then the candidates — make sure you know your candidates, make sure you know how you're going to vote. That makes it a lot better in terms of not only how quick you can fill out that ballot, but it helps voters that are trying to come in, find a place to be able to vote their ballot as well. That makes it just a better experience (not only) for the voter but for voters there at that polling location.
Castrey: How can a voter discover what their ballot will look like?
Schoeller: They can go to our website, and they can find their ballot for their specific address for them. And then they can be able to look at that and study that before the election.