Missouri Constitution Article V Sec. 25(b) – Adoption of plan in other circuits — petitions and elections — form of petition ballots
At any general election the qualified voters of any judicial circuit outside of the city of St. Louis and Jackson county, may by a majority of those voting on the question elect to have the circuit and associate circuit judges appointed by the governor in the manner provided for the appointment of judges to the courts designated in section 25(a), or, outside the city of St. Louis and Jackson county, to discontinue any such plan. The question of whether the circuit and associate circuit judges of any such circuit shall be so appointed shall be submitted to the voters of each county in any circuit at the next general election whenever petitions therefor signed by ten percent of the legal voters of each county in the circuit voting for the office of governor at the last election thereof are filed in the office of secretary of state at least 90 days before such election. The question shall be presented as follows: “Shall the circuit and associate circuit judges of the ______ judicial circuit be selected as provided in § 25 of Article V of the Missouri Constitution? Yes ? No ? (Mark One)”. The provisions of law with respect to initiative petitions shall apply insofar as applicable relative to the certification of the petitions to local officials by the secretary of state, the preparation, printing, publishing and distribution of the judicial ballots required by this section, the holding and conduct of the election, and the counting, canvassing, return, certification, and proclamation of the votes. If a majority of the votes upon the question are cast in favor of the adoption in each county comprising the circuit, the nonpartisan selection of the circuit and associate judges shall be adopted in the circuit. The question of selection of circuit and associate circuit judges in the manner provided in section 25(a) shall not be submitted more often than once every four years. If any judicial circuit adopts the nonpartisan selection of the circuit and associate circuit judges under the provisions of this section, the question of its discontinuance shall not be submitted more often than once every four years and may be submitted at any general election and shall be proceeded upon insofar as may be applicable in like manner as prescribed in this section for the original adoption of the plan.
The petition shall be in substantially the following form:
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| To the Honorable Officials in general charge of elections for the county of ______ for the state of Missouri: |
| We, the undersigned, legal voters of the state of Missouri, and of the county of ______, respectfully demand that the question of the discontinuance of the nonpartisan selection of the circuit and associate circuit judges be submitted to the legal voters of the ______ judicial circuit, for their approval or rejection, at the general election to be held on the ______ day of ______, A.D. 19______. |
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The ballot shall provide as follows:
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| “Shall the nonpartisan appointment by the governor of the circuit and associate circuit judges be discontinued in the ______ judicial circuit? | |
| ? Yes | |
| ? No | |
| (Place an “X” in one square.)” | |
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If a majority of the votes upon the question are cast in favor of such discontinuance in each county comprising the circuit, the nonpartisan selection of the circuit and associate circuit judges shall be discontinued in such judicial circuit.
If the nonpartisan selection of the judges be discontinued in any such judicial circuit, other than the city of St. Louis and Jackson county, the selection of such judges therein shall be made as otherwise prescribed by law. This section shall be self-enforcing.
