Voters in Kansas City, Missouri, to elect mayor, city council Tuesday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Voters in Kansas City, Missouri, will elect a mayor and city council members during municipal elections Tuesday. Polling locations open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

Sample ballots are available online and voters can use them to guide them inside their polling place. Voters will cast a ballot for mayor and the city council representative in their district. They will also choose a candidate in each of the six at-large city council races. The ballot also asks voters whether to retain several municipal judges.

Election leaders expect a low turnout, predicting between 10 and 13% of registered voters will cast a ballot. Election directors say the mayoral race usually drives the most traffic. This year, incumbent Mayor Quinton Lucas faces Clay Chastain, whom he defeated handily in April’s primary election.

Voters who spoke with KSHB 41 News said issues like crime, affordable housing and infrastructure are driving them to the polls.

“Crime on top of the list,” said Leah Banks, who voted early. “I think that shapes how people perceive our city, how they move around our city, what things are going to be accepted in the city.”

Others spoke about the importance of voting in local elections.

“City council makes decisions that intimately influences every aspect of our lives,” voter Justin Stein said. “Whether it’s streets and sidewalks and trash services, to really critical things like public safety, addressing the root causes of poverty and crime and also making sure everybody has safe, affordable housing.”

KSHB 41 News interviewed all the candidates on the ballot. A voter guide is available online.