June - 26 - 2026
🏛️ Issue of the Week: How to Prepare for Voting
Summary
Have you ever arrived at the polls and realized you weren't sure how to vote on every issue? Well, I’m a solutions guy, so I’m built to offer solutions before the August 4 election. This year's ballot is packed with extreme constitutional amendments, and the supermajority is counting on low turnout to help consolidate even more power. We can't let that happen.
Please know that I STRONGLY oppose Amendments 4 and 5 (Vote No). But you also will want to know more about the other amendments as well as who the candidates are in each election. While I do not have a primary candidate, it’s so important to know what is on the ballot, how you will vote and then make a plan to do so. This week, Excused Voting officially began. Here is what you should know to be an informed voter:
(* For the 2026 Missouri Aug 4 primary, excused absentee voting began six weeks before Election Day. During the final two weeks before the election, however, any registered voter may vote in person without providing an excuse. This is commonly called no-excuse absentee voting.)
A System for Becoming an Informed Voter:
Making a plan to vote and doing it with confidence doesn’t have to take a ton of time.
Also, if you vote, then you increase the odds that the people who are close to you will also vote (especially if you tell them you are voting and explain your process).
You can make a real difference! Here’s my no fail process:
1) Confirm your voter registration before the deadline.
(July 8 for this election). You can do this on your election board website, or send this link to others across the country. https://www.vote411.org/check-registration
2) Print out the sample ballot via the Jackson County Election Board Website, and make a copy for a friend: https://jcebmo.org/election-information/on-the-ballot/
3) Research each issue. While you can do it on your own, here are the organizations I’d recommend to check for ballot initiatives:
• The League of Women Voters Voter’s Guide https://www.vote411.org/ballot
• Valid Journalism Sources like the KC Star https://www.kansascity.com/
• KCUR https://www.kcur.org/ and the
• Missouri Independent https://missouriindependent.com/ are also helpful.
• I also check to see if the candidates I like are making strong endorsements for or against initiatives.
5) Fill out the sample ballot and then take it with you to vote
6) Vote early if you can!
7) Bonus: Reach out to family and friends with a picture of the “I voted” sticker and offer them your research.
I recognize with every direction of “just do this and it will help”, comes the: “Troy, this is great, but who has this kind of time?” I get it. I understand – that’s me too.
I promise if you sit down with no distractions and a computer, you can do it in less than an hour with the links I’m providing you. If you time advanced voting right, you’ll be in and out in less than 5 minutes and can grab an ice cream on Independence Square.
I bet you spend an hour on a lot of things that will have far less impact on your life than voting. And if you share your information with all of your good friends who are stressed out about where this state (and the nation) is heading, maybe they will buy you the ice cream.
And I highly recommend voting with family and friends and celebrating democracy after! We live in a miracle of a nation, and the rights come when we take the responsibility of voting seriously.
Key District 33 Details
Here are some additional resources for you to make it easier in District 33 to vote:
Jackson County Election Board Information:
Website: https://jcebmo.org/
Phone: (816) 325-4600
Advanced Voting Location:
110 N. Liberty St. Independence, MO 64051 (Office at 215 N. Liberty)
Voting Hours:
M-F 8:30am to 5pm; Saturday, July 25 & August 1 from 8:30am to 12:30pm
Important Voting Dates to Remember:
• Tuesday, June 23: Excused Early Voting Begins
• Wednesday, July 8: Last Day to Register
• Tuesday, July 21, No Excuse Early Voting Begins
• Wednesday, July 22nd, Last Day Absentee Ballot Request Can Be Accepted
• Saturday, July 25 and August 1 Early Voting on a Saturday from 8:30 to 12:30
• Tuesday, August 4, Election Day
A Better Path Forward & Conclusion
Want to hear more about how I feel about the August ballot and other issues? You can certainly reach out, check out my earlier Issues of the Week (and keep reading them going forward). Or come canvass with me on any given Saturday at 10am at the Jackson County Democrats Campaign office 1639 Douglas, Lee’s Summit, MO. If you can’t canvass, don’t worry, they have jobs you can do.
It’s all hands on deck this year. Voting in August is step one, but if you do that well, there is so much more you can do and have fun doing it. I never thought I’d run for office, yet I’m making friends for life, having a great time learning and the feeling of making a difference and bringing people together is priceless.
Thank you for participating in democracy and fighting for Missouri with me!