Bill Text: MO HB1341 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Changes the laws regarding nonpartisan elections in certain political subdivisions and special districts
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-28 - Referred: Elections(H) [HB1341 Detail]
Download: Missouri-2014-HB1341-Introduced.html
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE DUGGER.
4373H.01I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal section 115.124, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to certain nonpartisan elections.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 115.124, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 115.124, to read as follows:
115.124. 1. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, in a nonpartisan election in any political subdivision or special district except for municipal elections in any city, town, or village with one thousand or fewer inhabitants, if the notice provided for in subsection 5 of section 115.127 has been published in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the district, and if the number of candidates who have filed for a particular office is equal to the number of positions in that office to be filled by the election, no election shall be held for such office, and the candidates shall assume the responsibilities of their offices at the same time and in the same manner as if they had been elected. If no election is held for such office as provided in this section, the election authority shall publish a notice containing the names of the candidates that will assume the responsibilities of office under this section. Such notice shall be published by April first of each year, and shall be published in at least one newspaper of general circulation in such political subdivision or district. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, if at any election the number of candidates filing for a particular office exceeds the number of positions to be filled at such election, the election authority shall hold the election as scheduled, even if a sufficient number of candidates withdraw from such contest for that office so that the number of candidates remaining after the filing deadline is equal to the number of positions to be filled.
2. The election authority or political subdivision responsible for the oversight of the filing of candidates in any nonpartisan election in any political subdivision or special district shall clearly designate where candidates shall form a line to effectuate such filings and determine the order of such filings; except that, in the case of candidates who file a declaration of candidacy with the election authority or political subdivision prior to 5:00 p.m. on the first day for filing, the election authority or political subdivision may determine by random drawing the order in which such candidates' names shall appear on the ballot. If a drawing is conducted pursuant to this subsection, it shall be conducted so that each candidate may draw a number at random at the time of filing. If such drawing is conducted, the election authority or political subdivision shall record the number drawn with the candidate's declaration of candidacy. If such drawing is conducted, the names of candidates filing on the first day of filing for each office on each ballot shall be listed in ascending order of the numbers so drawn.
3. In any city, town, or village with one thousand or fewer inhabitants, candidates may assume offices in nonpartisan elections as provided in subsection 1 of this section upon the approval of the voters of the city, town, or village. The governing body of such city, town, or village may submit to the voters at any election available for the city, town, or village a proposal to adopt the provisions of subsection 1 of this section. If a majority of the votes cast on the question by the qualified voters voting thereon are in favor of the question, then the city, town, or village shall conduct nonpartisan elections as provided in subsection 1 of this section for all nonpartisan elections remaining in the year in which the proposal was adopted and for the six calendar years immediately following the approval of the proposal. If a majority of the votes cast on the question by the qualified voters voting thereon are opposed to the question, then the proposal shall not become effective unless and until the question is resubmitted under this section to the qualified voters and such question is approved by a majority of the qualified voters voting on the question. At the end of the six-year period in which nonpartisan elections are conducted as provided in subsection 1 of this section, each such city, town, or village shall submit to the voters a proposal to continue conducting nonpartisan elections as provided in subsection 1 of this section.
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