9 Things to Know About Early Voting in St. Louis City

Caveat - This is completely unofficial advice and I lay no claim or guarantee to its accuracy. The information presented is from personal experience, and the STL City Board of Election Commissioners website.

1. Voting Starts October 22nd

Beginning on Tuesday, October 22nd, St. Louis City registered voters may submit a No Excuse Absentee Ballot at any one of the eight Polling Places open through Monday, November 4th. Business hours vary by location, so please check before you go.

No Excuse Absentee Polling Places (by Zip Code)

63101 - St. Louis City Election Board - 300 N Tucker Blvd
Mon-Fri: 8a to 5p
Sat, Nov 2nd only: 9a to 1p

63107 - Divoll Library - 4234 N Grand Blvd
Mon: 12n to 6p
Tue-Thu: 10:30a to 5:30p
Fri-Sat: 10:30a to 4:30p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 12n to 4p

63108 - Schlafly Library - 225 N Euclid Ave
Mon-Thu: 10a to 6p
Fri-Sat: 10a to 4:30p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 12n to 4p

63109 - Buder Library - 4401 Hampton Ave
Mon-Thu: 10a to 6p
Fri-Sat: 10a to 4:30p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 12n to 4p

63110 - Kingshighway Branch Library - 2260 S Vandeventer Ave
Mon: 12n to 6p
Tue-Thu: 10:30a to 5:30p
Fri-Sat: 10:30a to 4:30p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 12n to 4p

63113 - Wohl Center - 1515 N Kingshighway Blvd
Mon-Sat: 10a to 6p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 10a to 4p

63118 - Carpenter Branch Library - 3309 S Grand Ave
Mon-Thu: 10a to 6p
Fri-Sat: 10a to 4:30p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 12n to 4p

63120 - Walnut Park Library - 5760 W Florissant Ave
Mon: 12n to 6p
Tue-Thu: 10:30a to 5:30p
Fri-Sat: 10:30a to 4:30p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 12n to 4p

TIP - I've been told the BUDER LIBRARY location is by far the most popular. If you want to avoid waiting in line during high traffic periods, it may be wise to choose an alternate location.

 

2. You Must Bring a Valid Photo ID to Vote

Acceptable forms of ID for Voting:

• A non-expired Missouri driver or non-driver license
• A non-expired military ID, including a veteran's ID card
• A non-expired United States passport or
• Another photo ID issued by the United States or the state of Missouri which is either not expired or expired after the date of the most recent general election (Nov 8, 2022)
  

 

3. Be Mindful of What You Wear

Electioneering is prohibited within 25 feet of the outer most entrance to the polling place. This includes wearing garments with a candidate's name on it. DO NOT WEAR items with text like Wesley Bell for Congress, Trump is My President, or Vote Yes/No on a ballot measure. You will be turned away for electioneering and unable to receive your ballot until you comply.

 

4. Be Nice to the ADA Worker

Many polling places will have a person at the main entrance to open the door for voters who need assistance. This is the City's latest solution to meet ADA Polling Place requirements. Do not assume they are threatening your right to vote. They are there to assist entry.

 

5. All Ballots are Paper

If it has been a while since you've voted in the City, you may remember Polling Judges giving you the option between a paper ballot or an electronic ballot. The City has recently updated their 20+ year old polling system and now ALL BALLOTS are paper ballots. Ballots are no longer pre-printed, but are print-on-demand (making City-Wide polling very accessible).

6. The Ballots are LONG!

In addition to the major races, and votes to retain judges, there are FIVE constitutional amendments, ONE state proposition, and FOUR City propositions on the ballot. All of these are on a one-page, two-sided 8 1/2" x 20" ballot (yes, TWENTY INCHES LONG). 

7. You are Not Required to Vote for Everything

If, for whatever reason, you decide you do not want to vote on a specific race or a ballot measure, you have the right to leave that blank. When you submit your ballot, the machine will likely flag that you've left an item blank, but you are allowed to submit as-is. All items you voted on will be counted, and all items left blank will be marked as ballot received.

8. If Something Goes Wrong, Ask for Help

If you experience any glitch while submitting your ballot into the machine, ask one of the Poll Workers for help. If there is an error on your ballot (like you forgot to complete the back side, or you selected too many candidates for one race) the machine will alert you and give you the option to submit as-is.

IF YOU SUBMIT AS-IS, you have authorized your ballot to be cast with the errors. Races/Measures with errors will be marked as ballot received and not counted on that race/measure. Once you have submitted a ballot there is nothing Poll Workers can do to correct it.

 

Depending on the glitch, the Poll Managers may offer to spoil that ballot and issue you an new one. In that case, you must complete a new ballot. The Poll Managers are required to keep the spoiled ballot; you MAY NOT use the spoiled ballot for reference while filling out the new ballot.

9. Know Before You Go

To make things easier on yourself and your Poll Workers, please research how you will be voting before you go. The City has a 5-page sample ballot PDF with all races and ballot measures at:

https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/board-election-commissioners/documents/upload/Nov24-All-Races-Sample-Ballot.pdf

 

Bonus

On Election Day -- Tuesday, November 5th -- all Polling Places are City-Wide and open from 6am to 7pm. Voters may cast their ballot regardless of their registered precinct at any one of 71 Polling Places.

Happy Voting!

~Seth

# # #

How to Apply for or Protest a Liquor License in STL

For those interested in what goes into apply or protesting a liquor license in St. Louis City, here are some informational links:

On the liquor license application process: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/excise/steps-to-apply.cfm 

On protesting a liquor license application: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/excise/protest-liquor-license.cfm 

And, protest rules and regulations (PDF): https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/public-safety/excise/documents/upload/Protest-Rules-and-Regulations-2019.pdf

Happy reading,
~Seth

 

 

They're baaack (And so are we)

Flashback to 2016: Circle K promised only to expand if they obtained a liquor license. Failing to do so, the project sat dormant for a few years. Then, with the help of our Alderman and LPNA leadership they shoved the expansion through City rezoning approvals anyway. Part of that push in 2018 was the promise that Circle K wasn't seeking a liquor license.

Meeting notice from Alderman Vaccaro on 06/08/2018

 

Covid delayed the expansion, but in Feb 2022, they began moving and (literally) shaking the neighborhood. As of this writing, they are still weeks maybe days from opening. However, their inside signage clearly identifies refrigerators labeled "WINE" and "The COOLER Beer & Wine."

Photo Credit: Don Bertelsmann, used with permission.

Except -- according to the Excise Division, they have yet to apply for a liquor license. Unless they plan to corner the market on non-alcoholic options, they are gearing up to petition for one.

Is that a bad thing? I think so. Plenty of neighbors directly affected think so. Other Wards think so. Take this Ward 21 ordinance putting a 5-year ban on new liquor licenses (Ordinance 71045), stating:

The existence of alcoholic beverage establishments appears to contribute directly to numerous peace, health, safety and general welfare problems including loitering, littering, drug trafficking, prostitution, public drunkenness, defacement and damaging of structures, pedestrian obstructions, as well as traffic circulation, parking and noise problems on public streets and neighborhood lots. The existence of such problems creates serious impacts on the health, safety and welfare of residents of single- and multiple-family within the district, including fear for the safety of children, elderly residents and of visitors to the district. The problems also contribute to the deterioration of the neighborhood and concomitant devaluation of property and destruction of community values and quality of life.

So, we're back.
~Seth

Ray of Light Daycare

As announced in the June 5th City Journal, Ray of Light Childcare (the link goes to their facebook page; the website is not up yet) has received their zoning permit at 6836 Fyler to begin providing daycare service for up to 4 children.

Congratulations! I'm very glad to see residents providing needed community services.

Circle K Expansion 2.0

Alderman Joe Vaccaro posted this morning (June 8th) to the closed LPNA facebook group, that Circle K will again begin the process of purchasing and rezoning the residential unit adjacent to the existing property with the intent of building a massive facility in its place.

Per his post (see image), there will be a meeting held in Timothy Lutheran Church (6704 Fyler Ave, 63139) on June 18th at 6:30pm.

Highlights of the Dec 5 LPNA General Assembly Meeting

Lindenwood Park Neighborhood Association President Janet Desnoyer began the evening promptly at 7:30pm by thanking Annette Bridges, the Neighborhood Improvement Specialist for Ward 23 who will be retiring this month after six years of service. Vaccaro (23^rd Ward Alderman) and Kratky (82^nd Districted State Representative) presented both city and state proclamations for her dedication and service.

Alderman Vaccaro spoke to the gathering about a December 16^th court date for a person of interest who has been charged with several burglaries and drug volations over a significant period of time. He (and later Officer Stehlin) said he would be asking for neighbors to write letters and/or attend the date to show that the neighborhood is interested in seeing the law enforced.

Alderman Vaccaro also said that Chick-Fil-A will be moving into what is currently For Your Entertainment (FYE) on Hampton. He then answered questions and concerns from the audience including a concern on the negative impact of potential tax breaks for developments related to Ballpark Village, a new professional soccer team interested in moving to St. Louis, and the Scott Trade center. Another attendee asked about speed bumps and traffic calming measures that were discussed several months previous. Vaccaro said that research is still being conducted but Lindenwood Park should start to see some of those traffic calming measures implemented in the Summer of 2017.

Darlene Green, Comptroller for the City of St. Louis then spoke briefly on the Green HELP home energy-efficiency loan program her department is currently managing. For more information and/or to apply visit https://www.greenhelpstlouis.com/.

After a few LPNA committee reports, Public Safety Officer Vince Stehlin spoke about a number of items.

First, the suspect for the armed robbery committed at the Circle Kat Jamieson and Fyler on Nov. 26th is still at large. SLMPD have a few leads and are perusing them. Officer Stehlin sympathized with neighbors who were concerned that crime reports aren’t always made public (such as the armed robbery of Sep 7^th which also took place at the Circle K at Jamieson and Fyler, but was never publicly reported), but that sometimes his superiors make him withhold information when releasing it may contaminate the investigation.

Officer Stehlin also announced that the trio who had been shooting windows out of cars all over St. Louis city and county for a number of months have finally been apprehended.

On Wed. Dec 7^th from 8a to 10a, Chris’s Pancake and Dining (5980 Southwest Ave, St. Louis, MO 63139) will be hosting the next Coffee with a Cop event.

Next, he stressed that the most frequent crime in Ward 23 is petty larceny. He cautioned people against leaving their cars and garages unlocked, against leaving their vehicles unattended when they are warming them up in the morning, and when expecting packages to take steps to be present when deliveries occur or arranging for someone to pick up their packages. An unattended package or an unattended running car is an invitation for theft.

Then, he pointed out a concern the SLMPD has been having with the frequency of calls to commercial entities. These calls use valuable time and resources, and potentially delay responses to resident emergencies. To emphasis the point, he issued a handout that revealed 873 calls for service in 2016 to six Walgreens stores in and around our neighborhood. The Walgreens at 3920 Hampton carried the bulk of the calls with 352. Not all of these were superfluous, but enough were that the Police Department is trying to leverage Walgreens to provide their own security.

In opening questions from the floor, an attendee asked about the new gun laws that are due to go into effect January 1. Officer Stehlin replied that he was genuinely concerned about the new gun laws, but the state is still trying to finalize what they will be. Until then, we can only stay tuned.

Officer Stehlin thanked everyone for the words of support and concern for Sergeant Lake who had been shot while on duty in the Lindenwood Park neighborhood.

Finally, he encouraged people to signup for his email alerts (send your request to vstehlin@slmpd.org) and also encouraged people to reach out to Captain Deeba at madeeba@slmpd.org with police-related questions or concerns.

Last, but not least -- 

Molly Pfeiffer, the manager of the SLPL Machacek Branch spoke briefly about two upcoming events:

On Thu. Dec 8^th from 6p to 8p, the SLPL Machacek Branch will have a telescope and members from the astronomers club on site (clear weather permitting)

On Wed, Dec 14^th from noon to 6pm, the SLPL Machacek Branch will also be hosting a holiday open house with light refreshments, and storytelling and crafts for kids.

Janet then closed the meeting at 15 minutes to 9pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Seth

Public Notice -- Circle K Public Hearing

Public Notice posted on the streetlight in front of 3282 Jamieson

The Board of Public Service will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, August 9, 2016 in Room 208 at 1:45 p.m., City Hall to consider the following:

Hearing No. 8190 - Circle K #1675 c/o Betty Watts, to occupy 3282 Jamieson as a gas station and convenience store (no liquor or cooking) pursuant to City of St. Louis Revised Code Section 26.100.030.

Richard T. Bradley, P.E.,
President, Board of Public Service

ATTEST:
Cherise D. Jones
Secretary, Board of Public Service

Source: City Journal v.99 issue 18, page 17.


Update (Aug 19): The hearing has been rescheduled and the updated public notice read as follows...

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that Board of Public Service
will consider the revocation of conditional use
Permit No. 119231, issued to Circle K #1675, c/o Betty
Watts, to occupy 3282 Jamieson as a gas station and
convenience store (no cooking or liquor), pursuant to City of
St. Louis Revised Code Section 26.100.060

A public hearing will be held on September 13, 2016
in Room 206, City Hall at 1:45pm