November 2025 Election: turnout expectations and why it’s important to vote in off-years

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - The November 2025 election is a special election in Missouri in a year where there is no presidential or midterm race. This means that a lot less people will be going to the polls, even if the issues have the most local impact.

In Greene County, the Springfield lodging tax question is the only question on the ballot. The county is expecting a 6.69% turnout. Stone and Polk Counties have similar short, localized ballots but are also expecting similarly low turnout numbers.

Each year the April elections can have various city council or school board races, but the August and November elections are usually a lot of tax and money questions.

“I strongly feel that it’s those off years and those April elections,” said Polk County Clerk Rachel Lightfoot, “those are the most important elections because those are the ones that affect the voters locally and more immediately. It’s important for them to still come and vote in these smaller elections because you still have a voice and you are still being given an opportunity for your voice to be heard. I encourage anybody and everybody every time you have the opportunity to vote to come and exercise that right.”

In a year where there is no primary, midterms, or presidential election, a lot of people just don’t go out to vote.

“A lot of people are gonna say, ‘Well, my neighbors are gonna get out and vote, so I won’t need to get out and vote,’” said Stone County Clerk Denise Dickens. “Then whenever they get their tax bill, then they’re like, ‘How come my tax bill is so much higher?’ So a lot of times when you’re affecting somebody’s pocketbook, that’s these smaller elections usually when it affects your pocketbook.”

People also might not even know elections are happening at all in these off years

“Most election authorities across the state and probably even across the us recognize that the newspaper is not the sole source of information anymore,” Lightfoot said. “A lot of us utilize websites and social media, and I encourage everybody to visit those and follow those Facebook pages and get notifications. Then your notifications on so that when that office does put something out, you get notified of it.”

Greene, Polk, and Stone counties all have just one question for one city on the ballot, so even if your county has an election, you would have to check your county clerk’s website to see if its one you can vote in. You can also see a list of sample ballots here.

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