Early primary election voter turnout in Greene County 'lighter than expected'

James and Michaela Smith took their boys, ages 6 and 8, to vote Tuesday at the East Sunshine Church of Christ. Each was holding the hand of a different son.

They voted, between stops, while the temperature was still fairly cool.

"Honestly, it's important for them to see us vote," said Michaela Smith. "It's a good opportunity to talk to them about the process and respecting the outcome."

The Missouri primary included a packed slate of candidates running for statewide offices, including the governor and U.S. Congress, as well as the Missouri legislature.

Turnout in Greene County was expected to draw nearly one out of every three registered voters, although Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller said absentee voting was lower than usual and hot afternoon temperatures might keep some from venturing out.

By mid-afternoon, turnout stood at just 14%. Schoeller described the voting benchmark as "a little lighter than expected, though I sensed the warmer weather might have an impact."

Steve and Ann Grace rarely miss an election and were determined to cast ballots in this primary.

They pulled a Democratic ballot, in part to vote for Mike Hamra, one of two Democrats from Springfield who are running for governor.

"He went to school with our daughter and we know his parents," Steve Grace said.

Unlike the Republican primary races, where there was more competition, Ann Grace noted there "weren't too many choices" for Democrats to make further down the ballot.

In recent years, most of Missouri's top offices have held by Republicans. "Voting for a Democrat on a statewide ballot is just a waste," Steve Grace said.

DeDe Vest also acknowledged the choices were slim on the Democratic primary ticket, with most candidates not facing a challenger. Still, she was undeterred.

"I just want to make sure as a rare Democrat, I vote in the primary," she said.

At Glendale Christian Church, Nancy Lewis said she "votes all the time" and primarily for conservative candidates.

"I'm basically a Republican but I will split the ticket," said Lewis, 88. "I like to see one party be governor and one party be lieutenant governor."

Even walking into the polling place, Lewis said she was struggling to finalize her vote though she hoped Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe would win the Republican nomination to succeed Gov. Mike Parson.

Kehoe is one of nine Republican candidates running for the state's highest office. He was a frontrunner along with Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and state Sen. Bill Eigel.

On the Democratic side, Lewis hoped Hamra would beat out state Sen. Crystal Quade, the Democratic Minority Floor Leader, to face Kehoe in November.

Lewis said she favored state Sen. Lincoln Hough to succeed Kehoe as the lieutenant governor.

Shanti Cacace said she has long supported Quade and wants her on the November ballot.

"I'm very interested in Crystal Quade. I've been following her for years," Cacace said. "She is down to earth. She is a Democrat."

Cacace said the governor's race was her top priority in the primary.

She also planned to cast a ballot for Lucas Kunce, who is running to defeat U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley. Kunce served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2007 to 2020.

Hawley, first elected to the role in 2018, is running uncontested in the Republican primary. He recently described himself as a Christian nationalist during a conservative conference in July.

Kunce ran for U.S. Senate two years ago but lost in the primary. He faces Karla May, December Harmon and Mita Biswas to be the Democratic Party nominee this year.

"I like that he's military," Cacace said of Kunce. "He is also down-to-earth. I like that he's not a Christian nationalist."

At Glenstone Christian Church, Amy Hughes said voting is a habit for her. "I just really care about being involved."

Hughes said despite typically voting Democratic, she pulled a Republican ballot in the primary so she could vote for Kehoe and Will Scharf — who is running against Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. Either Scharf or Bailey will be the Republican nominee and will face Elad Gross in November.

More: Missouri polls open at 6 a.m. for the primary election. Here's a last-minute guide

She left most of the rest of the ballot blank.

"This year, for the first time, I voted Republican," she said of the primary. "I wanted to support some of the moderates."

Gary Friedly went to vote at the Springfield Bible Church on Grand Street. He was carrying his voter identification card.

"They issue this but you can't use it," he said, flashing his driver's license, which he also planned to show.

The Voter ID laws passed in 2022 require voters to bring a non-expired photo ID issued by Missouri or the federal government, including a military ID or U.S. passport.

Friedly, 82, said he planned to vote Democratic, a change he made a decade ago.

He said he grew up Republican and voted that way most of his life. He said that party reliably had good choices in each election.

"It has changed. It ain't the Republican Party I grew up with. That was decades ago," he said. "It is not the same mentality."

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri primary: Greene County voter turnout 'lighter than expected'