Filing for open positions in the April 6, 2021, General Municipal Election began Tuesday, Dec. 15, and closed Tuesday, Jan. 19.
Up for election are offices from a variety of area school boards, local governments and water districts.
Absentee balloting begins Feb. 23 and must be submitted -- via mail, fax, or in-office -- by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24. Voters can apply to receive an absentee ballot from the county clerk's office either in person or by fax. After application forms are completed, they are to be returned to the county clerk's office for processing, after which an absentee ballot can be secured. For more information, call 417-223-7512.
Voters casting an absentee ballot must provide a legitimate reason for doing so. Secretary of State John R. Ashcroft's website lists the following as valid reasons for voting absentee:
• Absence on election day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote;
• Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability, including a person who is primarily responsible for the physical care of a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or disability;
• Employment as an election authority, as a member of an election authority, or by an election authority at a location other than such voter's polling place; and
• Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained.
• Certified participation in the address confidentiality program established under sections 589.660 to 589.681 of safety concerns.
• For an election that occurs during the year 2020 or 2021, the voter has contracted or is in an at-risk category for contracting or transmitting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (covid-19).
Voters who are considered at-risk for contracting or transmitting covid-19 are those who:
• Are 65 years of age or older;
• Live in a long-term care facility licensed under Chapter 198, RSMo.;
• Have chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma;
• Have serious heart conditions;
• Are immunocompromised;
• Have diabetes;
• Have chronic kidney disease and are undergoing dialysis; or
• Have liver disease.
The following is a list of seats to be decided on area boards of education. Names of the current incumbents are listed. All school board positions are for three-year terms unless otherwise noted.
• McDonald County School Board -- Andy McClain and Josh Banta. Both have filed for reelection. Carrie Milleson is seeking a seat on the board.
• Neosho School Board -- Dan Haskins and Steffen Wiest. Both have filed for reelection.
• East Newton School Board -- Robin Farmer and Mandy McMahan. Both have filed for reelection. Andrew "Andy" Baker and Julie McGill are seeking seats on the board.
• Wheaton School Board -- Kevin Schlessman and Bobby Banks. Schlessman has filed for reelection. Chris Ray, Timothy Peckham and Meagan McCullah are seeking seats on the board.
• Seneca School Board -- Rob Nesvold and Matt Stewart. Both have filed for reelection. Andrew Molder, Phillip Wilson and Monica Long are seeking seats on the board.
• Southwest R-V School Board -- Danny Dalton and Robert Catron. Both have filed for reelection.
• Crowder College Board of Trustees – Al Chapman. Chapman has filed for reelection.
Municipal openings with incumbent names are listed. All are for two-year terms unless otherwise noted:
• Anderson (8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) -- East Ward Alderman, Jimmie Gideon* and West Ward Alderman, Chester Neel. Neel and Gideon have filed for reelection. Don Hines has filed for West Ward Alderman and Jeremiah Brewer has filed for East Ward Alderman.
• Goodman (7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) -- North Ward Alderman, Ed Tuomala; South Ward Alderman, Ron Johnson; Mayor, J.R. Fisher; and Tax Collector, Meghan Sexson. Fisher and Sexson have filed for reelection. Steve Wimpey has filed for Tax Collector, Paula Brody and Patrick Watson have filed for South Ward Alderman and Nicholas Smith has filed for North Ward Alderman.
• Lanagan (8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday) -- Alderman Teresa Ezell, Alderman Teresa Neal, Alderman Jimmy Seymore, Alderman Terry Elston and Mayor, Stan Haywood. All alderman positions are at-large. All have filed for reelection.
• Noel (9 a.m. until noon; 1 to 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) -- North Ward Alderman, Kim Wilson; South Ward Alderman, Terry Lance; West Ward Alderman Reid Schmit; Mayor, Lewis Davis and Tax Collector, Nancy Irish. Wilson and Irish have filed for reelection. William Rose has filed for South Ward Alderman, Lewis Davis has filed for West Ward Alderman and Terry Lance has filed for Mayor.
• Pineville (8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday - Friday) -- North Ward Alderman, Becky Davis and South Ward Alderman, Ann Crowder-Sanders. Dawayne Lasiter has filed for South Ward Alderman.
• Southwest City (8 a.m. until noon; 1 to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday) -- East Ward Alderman, Steven Golden*; West Ward Alderman, Amber Killion and Mayor, David Blake. Golden and Blake have filed for reelection.
* Gideon was appointed North Ward Alderman following a vacancy created by the resignation of Gene Cantrell and Golden was appointed East Ward Alderman following a vacancy created by the death of Joe Carpenter.
Rural water district positions are all for three-year terms, set up by sub-districts:
• Rural Water District No. 1 (7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday - Friday) -- At the time of publication, officials were not available to provide information on open positions.
• Rural Water District No. 2 (9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Mondays, 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Tuesday - Friday) -- Sub-district 3; Charles Testerman and sub-district 4; Jeff Strickland.
• Rural Water District No. 3 (call 417-762-7167 for times to register) -- Sub-district 2; Darlene Mitchell. Mitchell has filed for reelection.