Missouri

There is a name for the type of government where “all political power is vested in and derived from the people” and founded upon the will of the people” - it’s called democracy. When the acts of a democratic government are “instituted for the good of the whole”, a government is a Perfect Democracy.

In his Second Treatise of Government, John Locke described the conditions that put the form of a perfect democracy in place:

“The majority, having the whole power of the community naturally in them, may employ all that power in making laws for the community, and executing those laws by officers of their own appointing; and then the form of the government is a perfect democracy.”

We see flashes of a Perfect Democracy in Missouri thanks to an amendment to the Missouri Constitution that was enacted in 1908, which gave the people of the state of Missouri the power “to propose and enact or reject laws and amendments to the constitution by the initiative, independent of the general assembly” and “to approve or reject by referendum any act of the general assembly”. [Missouri Constitution, Article III, Section 49.]

Referendums and the initiative are two powerful forms of direct democracy. Referendums vest all political power in the people. Every citizen has an equal vote, and a simple majority of the votes that are cast determines whether a proposed law or constitutional amendment is approved or rejected. The initiative gives the people of Missouri the power to originate and enact legislation, without the involvement or approval of the state legislature. The governor cannot veto laws or amendments proposed by the people through the initiative process and approved by the citizens.

In recent years, the people of Missouri have used the initiative to enact legislation the General Assembly refused to pass (including two separate increases in the minimum wage, Medicaid expansion, and the “Clean Missouri” ethics reform) and used the veto referendum to repeal an anti-worker, anti-union, so-called “right-to-work” bill that was passed by the General Assembly.

Some of the politicians in the General Assembly are unhappy that the people of Missouri have the power to originate legislation and reject bills they pass. They want to amend the Missouri Constitution to make it more difficult for citizens to call referendums or use the initiative. If they succeed, it will be a serious setback for democracy in Missouri.

When it comes to defending democracy, an adage commonly associated with sports and warfare applies – “The best defense is a good offense.” We need to do more than fight off attempts to roll back democracy. We need to proactively promote democracy. We need to make it easier for the people of Missouri to call veto referendums and use the initiative.

Two Elegantly Simple, Yet Incredibly Powerful Reforms

Petitions for two foundational and transformative pro-democracy amendments to the Missouri Constitution have been filed with the Secretary of State and approved for circulation in Missouri. If we gather the required number of signatures by May 3, 2026, these proposals will be on the ballot in Missouri on November 3, 2026:

The Perfect Democracy Amendment

The Perfect Democracy Amendment will allow citizens of Missouri to sign initiative petitions and veto referendum petitions electronically through Online Account for Politically Active Citizens (or sign paper copies of petitions).

Allowing citizens to sign petitions electronically (online) is not a new or untested idea. Citizens of the European Union have been able to “sign” initiative petitions online since 2011, by submitting Statements of Support. A system in place in Arizona enables citizens to sign petitions for candidates to get on the ballot. A system in place in Boulder, Colorado gives citizens the option of signing initiative petitions online (or signing paper copies).

Proxies for Citizens

One argument certain to be put forward against making it easier for citizens of Missouri to call veto referendums and use the initiative is that we will be inundated with too many ballot proposals. The best way to avoid having too many proposals put on the ballot or having too many veto referendums called is to make the General Assembly a more democratic institution that more accurately reflects the will of the people of Missouri.

Within our deeply divided two-party system, with a geographically based system of representation (with legislative and senatorial districts, not the people, represented) there are a lot of people who do not feel represented in the General Assembly. Democrats living in districts represented by Republicans do not feel represented. Republicans living in districts represented by Democrats do not feel represented. And most independent voters and members of other political parties who do not support either of the major parties do not feel represented regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican “represents” their district.

The Proxies for Citizens Amendment will allow every citizen who is eligible to vote in Missouri to assign a proxy to any one member of the Missouri Senate as their senator and any one member of the Missouri House authorizing them to vote on their behalf. Proxies can be reassigned at any time. Proxies could be assigned and reassigned through Online Accounts for Politically Active Citizens or by submitting a paper form.

Implementing a system of Proxies for Citizens will ensure that every politically active citizen is represented by a senator and a representative who shares their views and values and votes as they would vote themselves if voting directly on issues of concern to them.

Let's Bring Democracy into the 21st Century in Missouri

Enacting both of these pro-democracy reforms will be a major victory for democracy, making the ideals expressed in the opening lines of our state’s constitution a glorious reality. They will vest political power in the people, make it easy for the people of Missouri to originate legislation, ensure that government is founded upon the will of the people and instituted for the good of all the people of Missouri.

Getting these proposals on the ballot in Missouri in 2026 will not be easy, but it is the task at hand. Let's -

Upcoming Events

We are hosting organizational events around Missouri where Politically Active Citizens can ask questions, offer input, sign the petitions, and pick up blank petitions and other resources for volunteers (handouts, posters, et cetera.)

January 29th - Jefferson City

Campaign Kick-Off - Make Missouri a Perfect Democracy. 8 am to 10 am in the First Floor Rotunda of the Capitol Building

January 29th - Columbia

3:15 pm to 4:30 pm in the Friends Room at the Columbia Public Library

100 W. Broadway, Columbia, MO 65203

January 30th - Independence

5 pm to 7:30 pm at Tim’s Pizza, 17201 E US-40 Independence, MO 64055

February 8th - Springfield

4:30 pm to 7 pm. Library Center – Community Room B

4653 S. Campbell Ave. Springfield, MO 65810

February 9th - Joplin

2 pm to 4 pm in Conference Room One at the Joplin Public Library - 1901 E 20th St., Joplin, MO 64804

February 22nd - St. Louis

2 pm. Meeting Room 2

Grants View Branch of the St. Louis County Library

9700 Musick Road, St. Louis, MO 63123

February 24th - Cape Girardeau

5 pm to 7 pm in the Geraldine Hirsch room at the Cape Girardeau Public Library - 711 N. Clark St.Cape Girardeau, MO 63701

Please sign up to help circulate these petitions.

Petitions for The Perfect Democracy Amendment and The Representation for All Amendment have been filed with the Secretary of State. They should be approved for circulation by the end of the year. We will begin gathering signatures in January of 2025.

If we gather the required number of signatures by May 3, 2026, that proposal will be on the ballot in Missouri on November 3, 2026.

If you would like to help circulate these petitions, please provide your email address in the space provided at the bottom of every page of this website. A Volunteer Coordinator will contact you.

Instructions for Petitioners in Missouri

Please read carefully before circulating petitions to ensure the signatures you collect will be counted.

Qualifications for petitioners: Petition circulators must be at least eighteen years of age. You do not have to be a resident of the state of Missouri to circulate petitions, but you must have the signature pages you turn in notarized in the state of Missouri. You may not circulate petitions if you have been convicted of, found guilty of, or pled guilty to an offense involving forgery.

To facilitate good communication, please make sure to provide your email address. You can use the “Join the Campaign” link at the bottom of each page on this website, use the Contact Form on this website or send an email with the subject line “I am circulating petitions” to: info@governmentbythepeople.org. You may also send an email to this same address if you have any questions or concerns.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING INITIATIVE PETITIONS FOR CIRCULATION

Before you begin gathering signatures, fill in the name of the county for each page in all four of the spaces provided: in the upper right corner; in the two spaces in the paragraph that begins “We, the undersigned registered voters of the state of Missouri….” and in the paragraph just below the signature block.

In the space provided just above the signature block (the Circulator’s Affidavit) – Fill in your name, but not the county in which the page will be notarized. (Wait to make sure where you will have it notarized.) The signature pages must be notarized before you turn them in. They can be notarized anywhere in the state but must be notarized in Missouri.

DO NOT fill in the page number. Pages must be collated by county before they are numbered to avoid duplication of page numbers. Our field organizers will add page numbers prior to submitting all of them to the secretary of state’s office.

DO NOT sign your own petition (sign a page being circulated by someone else). DO NOT sign your name as the affiant (the person obtaining signatures) until you are having the pages notarized.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR GATHERING SIGNATURES ON INITIATIVE PETITIONS

Only registered Missouri voters can sign these initiative petitions. When asking someone to sign the petition, begin by asking if they are a registered voter in the state of Missouri. (If they are not registered, encourage them to register, but do not allow them to sign.) Then ask them for the name of the county where they are registered to vote. Make sure they sign a page for that county. Encourage signers to sign their name exactly as it is on their voter I. D. card and to write legibly. (And to stay within the lines.)

ERRORS: If someone makes an error, the signee should put a single line through the entry and put their initials next to the strikethrough, then sign again below. If you catch the error later, you may draw a single line through the entry. Wait to initial it until you are having the page notarized.

Each petition page may only contain signatures of voters from a single county. If you are obtaining signatures from voters from more than one county, you must have a separate signature page for each county. Signatures of voters who do not reside in the county indicated in the upper right corner will not be counted. You should keep a single copy of both petitions on a separate clipboard for each county.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING COMPETED AND NOTARIZED PETITIONS

Before you turn in petition pages, be sure to have them notarized. You should be able to get them notarized at your bank, without charge. We also have volunteers who are notaries. If necessary, send an email to info@governmentbythepeople.org and ask about notaries in your area. Once your petitions have been notarized,

GET COMFORTABLE EXPLAINING OUR PROPOSALS TO POTENTIAL SIGNERS

It is very important for you to be comfortable explaining, and answering questions about, our proposals. The Perfect Democracy Amendment and the Representation for All Amendment involve concepts that may be unfamiliar to some people. Most people will want to understand what is being proposed before they sign our petitions. Videos explaining each of these proposals are posted on the Government by the People website. There is also a great deal of additional information regarding our petitions, including the full and exact text of each petition posted on the Government by the People web site. Please make use of these resources to ensure that you can explain our proposals and answer questions about them. If you have questions that are not answered in the videos or on the web site, please send an email to info@governmentbythepeople.org.

Number of Signatures Required

Note: For a proposed amendment to the Missouri Constitution to be placed on the ballot, initiative petitions for the proposed amendment must be signed by eight percent of legal voters in at least six of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. The number of signatures required in each congressional district in the table (above) were for petitions to be on the ballot in 2024. The new numbers for 2026 petitions have not yet been posted by the Secretary of State but will be approximately 1.7% lower on average (because there were fewer votes cast for governor in 2024 than in 2020). This table will be updated as soon as the new numbers are available.

The material on this website is adapted from a soon to be published book: Government by the People: A Citizen's Guide to Making America a Perfect Democracy by Winston Apple.

Permission is granted to share with proper attribution. All Rights are Reserved.

This website is paid for by Perfect Democracy - a 501(c)4 political action committee.

Government by the People

Government by the People

Missouri

Missouri Capitol Building - Jefferson City, Missouri

Two Elegantly Simple, Yet Incredibly Powerful Reforms

The Perfect Democracy Amendment

Proxies for Citizens

Let's Bring Democracy into the 21st Century in Missouri

Upcoming Events

January 29th - Jefferson City

January 29th - Columbia

January 30th - Independence

February 8th - Springfield

February 9th - Joplin

February 22nd - St. Louis

February 24th - Cape Girardeau

Please sign up to help circulate these petitions.

Video of Instructions for Petitioners in Missouri

Instructions for Petitioners in Missouri

Please read carefully before circulating petitions to ensure the signatures you collect will be counted.

The Perfect Democracy Amendment (Missouri)

Signature Page - Perfect Democracy Amendment

The Representation for All Amendment (Missouri)

Signature Page - Representation for All

Number of Signatures Required

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