Missouri

What is ranked-choice voting, and should Missouri ban it? • Missouri Independent

Published

1 year ago

October 22, 2024

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What is ranked-choice voting, and should Missouri ban it? • Missouri Independent

Ranked-choice voting is on the rise in the U.S., with two U.S. states and 45 U.S. cities now using some version of it.

This November, Missourians will have the opportunity to ban it.

Advocates of ranked-choice voting argue that it solves the problems of other voting methods, while detractors counter that it makes elections unnecessarily complicated.

Here in the U.S., plurality voting is the most commonly used system to elect people to serve in government. Using this method, whichever candidate has the most votes after a single round wins. Proponents of plurality voting point out that it is easy to understand and implement.

One problem arises, however, when there are several people running for office. In those cases, the vote could be split several ways, and the overall winner may not actually be very popular.

Some places that have experienced these sorts of results have chosen to adopt an electoral system aimed at ensuring that winners have majority support, such as runoff voting. However this method can lead to several rounds of elections (particularly if it’s also used during the primaries), which can be expensive for governments to organize. Plus, it requires voters to take additional time off work and other duties, which can reduce voter turnout.

In hopes of ensuring that winners have majority support while minimizing the downsides of runoff voting, some places have adopted ranked-choice voting.

The way this system typically works is that voters rank candidates in order of preference. A candidate can win outright by receiving the majority of first-preference votes. If that doesn’t happen, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated, and voters who picked that candidate as their first choice will have their next choice counted. If there still is not a winner, then the candidate with the next fewest votes is also eliminated. This process continues with candidates eliminated one-by-one until one candidate has obtained a majority.

Proponents of ranked-choice voting argue that it takes less time and money versus runoff voting because all votes are cast on one day on one ballot.

Given that voters get to rank multiple candidates, another potential benefit of ranked-choice voting is that it can encourage moderation among candidates as they vie for voters’ second, or subsequent, preferences.

Because ranked-choice voting is a different system than most Americans are familiar with, one potential problem is confusion. Some critics incorrectly claim that ranked-choice voting lets voters cast more than one ballot per person, but in fact each voter gets just one vote.

With that said, voters who are unfamiliar with ranked-choice voting may run into issues. For example, ballots filled out incorrectly, such as by marking the same preference twice, can be considered invalid. Also, failing to rank all of the candidates may result in a ballot being ignored in later rounds of counting.

But teaching people how the system works can reduce such problems.

Already outlawed in Missouri, noncitizen voting ban will appear on statewide ballot

At present, both Maine and Alaska have adopted versions of ranked-choice voting. In 2020, Maine re-elected Republican Susan Collins to the U.S. Senate. In 2022, Alaska reelected Republican Lisa Murkowski to the U.S. Senate. Both Collins and Murkowski are often considered among the most moderate members of Congress.

This is not surprising because in order to win under ranked-choice voting, candidates need to be broadly popular. A moderate Republican, for instance, would get votes from Republicans, but they might also be the second or third choice among some Democrats because those Democrats would likely prefer a moderate Republican over a far-right Republican.

Similarly, a moderate Democrat would get votes from Democrats, but they might also be the second or third choice among some Republicans because those Republicans would likely prefer a moderate Democrat over a far-left Democrat.

For example, in the 2022 special election for Alaska’s at-large congressional district, Alaskans chose to elect moderate Democrat Mary Peltola over far-right Republican Sarah Palin. Peltola is the first Democrat to serve as Alaska’s representative in the U.S. House since 1972. In her two years in office, she’s voted against her own party more than nearly every other Democrat.

On Nov. 5, Missourians will have the opportunity to vote on Amendment 7. If passed, this amendment would do two things: (1) it would ban noncitizens from voting, and (2) it would prohibit the use of rank choice voting.

First of all, here in Missouri, it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote.

Second, when deciding whether or not Missouri should prohibit ranked-choice voting, one should first think about who this change would benefit.

Recall that rank choice voting makes it easier for moderates to win and more difficult for politicians at the extremes to win. Whether this is good or bad depends upon whether you consider yourself a moderate Democrat/Republican or an extreme Democrat/Republican.

For far-left Democrats or far-right Republicans, voting ‘yes’ on Amendment 7 is probably in your best interest, as Missouri would keep plurality voting, which favors the type of politicians you support.

For moderate Democrats or moderate Republicans, voting ‘no’ on Amendment 7 is probably in your best interest. It does not mean that Missouri will adopt rank choice voting. It would, however, leave the door open for Missourians to one day adopt it should we so choose, and at that point, moderate politicians would have a better shot at winning.

Americans often think that the best way to influence change is to win the game by ensuring that our preferred politician wins the election.

However, politicians come and go, and an often-overlooked way to influence the game is by changing the rules of the game itself.

Do you like the current rules? Or, at some point, would you like to change them? Amendment 7 gives you a choice.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

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Missouri

It’s All Madsen In Missouri High Limit Tilt – SPEED SPORT

Published

7 hours ago

April 19, 2026

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It’s All Madsen In Missouri High Limit Tilt – SPEED SPORT

WHEATLAND, Mo. — It was all Kerry Madsen on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Speedway as the 54-year-old native of Australia, who’s now based in Knoxville, Iowa, picked up his first Interstate Batteries High Limit Sprint racing victory.

Madsen led all 30 laps to earn the $12,000 prize. He outdistanced runner-up Sue Lynch by 2.79 seconds with Tanner Holmes finishing third.

“The car’s been super quick every time we’ve hit the track,” Madsen said, noting several competitive runs in the early portion of the High Limit schedule. “The car’s been quick every night, which gives you a lot of confidence.

“We haven’t drawn well in dashes and had some little stuff going on. We drew a good one (tonight) and the car was good and we got the job done. I’m pretty happy.”

That changed this time as Madsen beat Holmes in the dash, to claim the pole position for the feature.

Madsen said his young crew chief Ty Wolfgang has “done a great job” getting in sync with him. Communication has been a big key.

“I know it sounds weird, but just hanging out together,” Madsen said of the driver-crew chief chemistry. “Dinner and a beer and just talk about racing. You do that and it might be a Wednesday night, but something clicks. He’s been real receptive with that stuff and that’s great.”

Madsen, a former Knoxville Nationals 360 winner, paced the early going after starting from the pole, with Holmes in close pursuit. Action slowed on lap six with Chase Randall and Danny Samms III tangling in turn two for the first and only yellow of the event.

Lynch moved into second on the restart as Madsen opened a 1.5-second lead by lap nine as Holmes dropped to third. Madsen’s margin swelled to nearly two seconds by lap 11 – but Lynch tracked down the leader and cut the deficit to a half-second at the halfway mark on lap 15.

As the race continued until green-flag conditions, Madsen settled into a one-second advantage as Lynch and Holmes tried to keep pace. Madsen poured it on in the late stages, cruising to the checkers by nearly three seconds over Lynch.

“Hopefully we can keep rolling like this all year. Obviously, you can’t win every night, but being quick and running well is going to be awesome,” Madsen said.

Lynch, 28 from Cowansville, Pa., said the team found some steering issues and gave him a fast car. It just was not fast enough to stay with Madsen on Saturday night.

“We were battling steering issue in the dash and it was pretty obvious,” Lynch said. “We just didn’t have time to change it and we just tried to make it the best we could. Really the car was super good. The guys busted their butt all night. It’s a testament to the team. We’re working hard and hopefully one spot better real soon.”

Holmes, a 22-year-old from Jacksonville, Oregon, came home third with Daison Pursley fourth, Hank Davis fifth and Rico Abreu charging from 11th to sixth.

“Our best night of the year,” Holmes said. “We’ve got to race a little bit during a break with High Limit these last few weeks. Some of those nights when we got our teeth kicked in taught us a lot.”

Fast overall qualifier was Sye Lynch at 13.342 seconds out of Group A. Aaron Reutzel led Group B with a lap of 13.469 seconds. Both were well off the track record for 410 Sprints held by Rico Abreu at 12.829 seconds on June 29, 2024.

The finish:

Feature: 1. 55-Kerry Madsen[1]; 2. 42-Sye Lynch[3]; 3. 13-Tanner Holmes[2]; 4. 9-Daison Pursley[4]; 5. 17GP-Hank Davis[5]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu[11]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[12]; 8. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[6]; 9. 19-Brent Marks[9]; 10. 26-Justin Peck[10]; 11. 88-Tanner Thorson[15]; 12. 21-Brian Brown[14]; 13. 28-Jace Park[23]; 14. 87-Aaron Reutzel[7]; 15. 19JR-Joel Myers Jr[20]; 16. 45X-Rees Moran[21]; 17. 5-Brenham Crouch[19]; 18. 44-Chris Martin[8]; 19. 19H-Kaleb Johnson[22]; 20. 87X-Logan Seavey[17]; 21. 36-Jason Martin[16]; 22. 9R-Chase Randall[18]; 23. 24D-Danny Sams III[13]; 24. 2-Miles Paulus[24]

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for April 18, 2026

Published

19 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at April 18, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from April 18 drawing

24-25-39-46-61, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 5

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 18 drawing

Midday: 5-8-2

Midday Wild: 3

Evening: 3-8-5

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 18 drawing

Midday: 0-1-6-1

Midday Wild: 2

Evening: 4-7-6-9

Evening Wild: 5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 18 drawing

Early Bird: 08

Morning: 01

Matinee: 05

Prime Time: 04

Night Owl: 05

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 18 drawing

07-10-21-27-33

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from April 18 drawing

02-38-45-53-63, Powerball: 21

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for April 17, 2026

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at April 17, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 17 drawing

38-43-44-49-62, Mega Ball: 08

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 17 drawing

Midday: 4-8-6

Midday Wild: 2

Evening: 8-8-2

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 17 drawing

Midday: 3-9-4-2

Midday Wild: 4

Evening: 7-3-7-7

Evening Wild: 7

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 17 drawing

Early Bird: 07

Morning: 06

Matinee: 08

Prime Time: 05

Night Owl: 07

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from April 17 drawing

04-06-25-37-39

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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