Step 3: Understand your primary

With less than a month until the next primary election, your first voting experience is quickly approaching. Primary elections are when voters signify their preference for a candidate belonging to a specific party. You’d fill out a ballot for the specific party you intend to vote with. Because Missouri has an open primary, you are not required to register with a specific political party. This means, come primary election day, all you’ll need to do is indicate to the poll workers which party you intend to vote with. You can choose your top choice in the party you support. Another primary voting strategy is voting for the party you do not support, but picking a smaller candidate. This voting technique splits votes, making it more difficult for a single candidate to gain a majority. 

Missouri’s primary is an election, not a caucus, and will be held March 10. It’s required to bring some form of identification to the polls, and you can check if yours is acceptable here. While lines for elections can be very long, the time spent in line is well worth having your voice heard, and as long as you are in line to vote come 7:00 p.m., you have the right to vote. So get ready, find your polling place, grab your ID and get ready to vote!