Your voice matters: How state races impact you

It’s no secret that voting is an important part of being an American citizen. But at what point should you begin paying attention to elections on a state level?

This year's ballot will hold elections for key state positions such as Missouri governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer and attorney general.

Senior social studies education major Patrick Donohue said he thinks the state election would impact his life through policy changes and mostly economic factors. Despite this belief, he admitted he’s not familiar with the positions or candidates on the ballot.

“I feel like I hear these names in passing,” Donohue said.

In a survey of 10 SEMO students, only one could identify the roles of Missouri’s elected officials.

Clint Tracy, former Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives and current presiding commissioner of Cape Girardeau County, expressed uncertainty about how aware college students are of state-level issues.

“I'm just not sure the issues are on college kids’ radars,” Tracy said. “We've got several constitutional amendments and propositions on the ballot this time, things that will affect your life, maybe not today, or maybe today and even into the future.”

Though a lot of college students live “day to day”, looking ahead with current politics could help shape the future for our adult lives.

Sophomore social studies education major Catelyn Roberts is chair of the board for the campus organization Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). This nonpartisan group aims to spread awareness of current political issues, races and candidates to students.

Roberts said that she has been interested in politics since the 2016 election.

“When I first became aware of the homophobia going on in federal politics during that time, it was because of what was going on federally, that made me realize there are things going on at the state level as well,” Roberts said.

Roberts said that college students should be paying attention to what is going on, especially in their state.

“Whenever you're living in the state, everything that gets passed here will directly impact your life.”

Remaining informed of issues and legislation will help individuals advocate for what they want state officials to prioritize.

Current vice president of First State Community Bank in Jackson, Ronnie Maxwell, is running for Cape Girardeau county treasurer. He said that overall, voter turnout has been a recent problem in the county.

“That's kind of a hot button for me,” Maxwell said. “Even in our election in this primary, Cape County, had a little over 12,000 votes, we've got a population of almost 100,000.”

Though the last primary’s turnout was low, Maxwell said he did notice that the students level individuals that have been getting involved have been very inquisitive towards him.

“I just wish that would have turned out in the [voting] numbers.” Maxwell said.

Another thing Maxwell had noticed being politics is that self education is extremely important.

“Educate yourself, know about the amendments, read and talk about them.” Maxwell said. “For a long time it was taboo we didn't talk about religion or politics, now we need to have the conversations.”

Understanding the responsibilities of state officials can help guide you in choosing candidates who align with your values.

So, what do they do?

According to mo.gov:

Governor:

• The governor is responsible for any type of legislation that happens within their state.
• They have the power to approve, veto, or send bills back to the legislature with objections.
• Granting reprieves, commutation, and pardons is another power that the governor holds.

Lieutenant Governor:

• The lieutenant governor is elected separately from the governor (not a team).
• They ultimately take on the role of state governor if something happens to the current governor.
• They also serve on a series of boards within the state.

Secretary of State:

• The secretary of state oversees numerous diverse programs and responsibilities.
• The office is comprised of 7 divisions and maintains offices.
• They are the chief election official.

Attorney General:

• The attorney general represents the legal interests of the state’s people as a group.
• They must prosecute or defend all appeals to which the state is a party.
• They institute in the name of the state, all civil suits and other proceedings that are necessary to protect the state’s rights, interests, or claims.

State Treasurer:

• The state treasurer is the state’s chief financial officer.
• They manage Missouri’s $20 billion in annual state revenues, direct its banking services, and oversee its $6.5 billion investment portfolio.
• They also safeguard unclaimed property that different businesses and agencies have turned over.