On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated outside his hotel room in Memphis, TN. 

  Dr. King fought against the injustices of racism, poverty, and war. He also pushed for voting rights of Black Americans and was standing alongside President Lyndon B. Johnson as he signed the Voting Rights Act into law in 1965.

  Dr. King referred to voting as a “sacred right”. So, what better way to honor Dr. King’s legacy on the anniversary of his death, than to exercise that sacred right to vote?

  On Tuesday, April 4, registered voters in Jackson County can participate in the general municipal election to determine who best represents them in various local positions like city council and school board.

  They will also vote on issues like where sales tax dollars on recreational marijuana will go and whether to approve bond issues or levy transfers that may direct funding towards more money for teachers or new building projects in their communities.

  “The rules that we live by in our daily lives are set by the people we elect,” said League of Women Voters Kansas City President, Anne Calvert. “Get in the habit of voting every single time you can. It is a right we need to protect in every single election.”

  UMKC students who are registered to vote in Missouri can make a plan to vote using the following steps:

• Check voter registration and find a polling place here.
• Make sure to have the correct photo ID at the polls. Missouri law changed in 2022 under HB 1878 which no longer allows college students to use their student ID to vote. See valid photo ID options here.
• Find out who and what is on the ballot in Jackson County, MO here. Watch some of the candidate forums to get to know some of the candidates running in different races around the metro here.
• Check class schedules on April 4 to identify availability between 6am-7pm (polling location hours).
• Plan to vote at a time that does not conflict with class, and talk to the professor ahead of time – UMKC faculty are encouraged to support student voting, but it’s just a suggestion not a requirement from the provost, so not every faculty member may follow the suggestion.
• Figure out transportation. Find a ride or check the bus schedule.
• Find a friend to go with. Voting is always more fun with friends.
• If there are any problems at the polls, don’t leave. Call the Election Protection Hotline to get immediate assistance 1-866-687-8683. 
• Finally, take pride in voting. It is a sacred right that each person must protect.

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