Counties Open Elections Without Listing Offices, Candidates | The Locally Times
Filing for an August primary in Callaway County and absentee voting for an April election in Cole County begin this week, but public notices do not list the offices or measures at stake.
The public announcement, however, does not specify which county offices will be on the ballot. This leaves prospective candidates and voters without fundamental information as the official election cycle begins. Simultaneously, a notice from the Cole County Government states that absentee voting for the April 7, 2026, Municipal Election will take place from February 24 through February 27. As with Callaway County, the public notice does not identify the specific candidates, ballot initiatives, or municipal races that voters will decide. Residents can begin casting ballots this week for an election whose contents have not been detailed in the county’s public announcements. ## State Deadlines and Vague Agendas Add Confusion State-level deadlines add another layer of ambiguity. These financial disclosures may offer the first public glimpse into who is running for office and what issues are being funded, information not yet available from county election authorities. Further complicating the timeline, the MEC website lists a filing deadline for an entirely different election. However, no public records from either the Callaway or Cole county governments indicate that an election is scheduled for that date. During this same period, multiple Cole County government bodies have posted notices for upcoming meetings. The postings do not include the substance of these agendas, leaving the public unaware of the specific matters to be discussed or voted upon. ## Key Information Missing as Deadlines Arrive As of February 24, prospective Callaway County candidates lack an official list of open offices for the August primary, and Cole County voters can cast absentee ballots for April municipal races that the county has not publicly identified. The purpose of a separate March 3 election, referenced in state ethics commission filings, also remains unspecified in local public records.