St. Louis Gets Out to Vote: Scenes From the Early Hours of Election Day

This morning Congresswoman Cori Bush was greeting voters at a polling place near Tower Grove Park, and a group of pro-choice activists unfurled a 40-foot long "Roe Your Vote" banner over Highway 40. It's midterm Election Day in St. Louis.

Alderwoman Megan Green was with Bush at the Missouri School of the Blind this morning. She tells the RFT she's feeling optimistic about her chances in what is considered to be one of the region's closer races pitting her against Alderman Jack Coatar for St. Louis Board of Alderman President.

See also: Your Guide to the 2022 Missouri Midterm Elections

The other closely watched race is for county executive, which has incumbent Sam Page being challenged by former Democrat, now Republican, Mark Mantovani.

National pundits have predicted a very high turnout for these midterms, and anecdotal evidence points to St. Louis being no exception.

As of Saturday, almost 20,000 absentee ballots had been cast in in St. Louis County with another 46,000 county residents voting in person.

“It's really rocketed ahead now of 2018,” St. Louis County Democratic Elections Director Eric Fey told St. Louis Public Radio. “Once the no-excuse period started, and we opened up our satellite offices, the turnout increased dramatically.”

In the city, Democratic election director for St. Louis city, Ben Borgmeyer, said on Twitter that 16,543 St. Louis city residents had already voted in person prior to today. The increase is likely due to a new no-excuse, two week early voting period.

"Historically, the midterm elections in Missouri have not even attracted half of eligible voters," said Joan Lipkin, director of Dance the Vote, the organization behind the 40-foot long "Roe Your Vote" banner.

She says that hanging the banner along different highway overpasses was a creative way to get out the vote. “With extremely important issues on the ballot on November 8, this non partisan action will provide an opportunity to wave at thousands of drivers going east and west and remind them that Your Vote Matters.”

For the past week, the banner has been making its way to various, high-traffic overpasses in the county, with the hopes of getting commuters to the polls.

Polls close at 7 p.m.

- Ryan Krull