Missouri GOP releases ballot guide ahead of November election

The November midterms are coming and Missouri has several important issues on the ballot!

The Missouri Republican Party released its recommendations this week, calling for yes votes on Amendments 3, 7 and 8 and Proposition A, while opposing Amendment 6.

The five measures address abortion rights, direct democracy, state taxes, county sheriffs and congressional redistricting.

Amendment 3 is described by Republicans as a measure to protect women and children. However, its central provision would repeal the constitutional abortion rights Missouri voters approved in 2024.

A yes vote would eliminate existing protections for abortion through fetal viability, replacing them with restrictions generally allowing abortions only in cases of medical emergency, fetal anomaly, rape or incest. The rape and incest exceptions would be limited to the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The amendment would also prohibit gender-transition surgeries, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors, with certain medical exceptions.

Amendment 6 has drawn opposition from Republicans, who warn that billionaire-funded ballot campaigns could leave lawmakers unable to change voter-approved policies.

The actual proposal would make the initiative and referendum process a fundamental constitutional right and prevent lawmakers from changing or repealing citizen-approved laws without approval from at least 80% of both legislative chambers to send those changes back to voters.

It would also protect existing petition signature requirements and preserve approval of statewide initiatives by a simple majority.

A no vote would leave the current constitutional provisions governing citizen initiatives in place.

Amendment 7 would establish the Show-Me Prosperity Fund, a permanent state investment fund designed to eventually replace revenue collected through state taxes.

Republicans are promoting the amendment as a path toward eliminating taxes. However, the official ballot explanation makes clear that passage would produce no immediate tax reduction.

Instead, the state would invest money until the fund generated enough revenue to replace state tax collections.

Amendment 8 would place the election of county sheriffs into the Missouri Constitution and restrict their removal from office.

Missouri law already requires county sheriffs to be elected to four-year terms. The amendment would make those protections constitutional and generally allow removal only through a court proceeding initiated by the attorney general.

Proposition A would approve the congressional map Republican lawmakers adopted in 2025, replacing the boundaries established in 2022.

Republicans argue the revised map better protects counties and rural communities.

However, the redistricting plan was designed to improve Republican prospects of winning seven of Missouri's eight congressional seats, compared with the six seats Republicans currently hold.

The changes primarily target the Kansas City-area district represented by Democrat Emanuel Cleaver.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Missouri must use its 2022 congressional map for the November election while voters decide the referendum.