GENERAL ELECTIONS

 
General elections for the office of Mayor and City Council are held the first Tuesday in April of each year. The opening of filing for elections is at 8:00 a.m., the 17th Tuesday prior to the election. The closing filing date is 5:00 p.m., the 14th Tuesday prior to the election.

Nominations for all elective offices are made by petition. Petitions for Council must be signed by a minimum of 50 registered qualified voters of the ward. Petitions for Mayor must be signed by a minimum of 150 registered qualified voters of the city. Upon completion, the petitions are returned to the City Clerk to file with the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners for verification. Petition forms are available at the City Clerk's office.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE APRIL 2022 ELECTION

Tuesday, December 7, 2021, 8:00 a.m. - Candidate Filing Opens
Tuesday, December 28 2021, 5:00 p.m. - Candidate Filing Closes
Tuesday, April 5, 2022, 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Election Day

For more important dates regarding the April 2022 election, see the St. Louis County Board of Election Election Calendar.

Mayor

The Mayor is elected by the qualified voters of the city at large at the regular municipal election. He or she holds office for a term of three years. The Mayor must be a qualified voter of the city and a resident of the city for at least one year prior to the election. The Mayor may serve three consecutive terms. The Mayor's term of office begins at the City Council Meeting after certification by the St. Louis County Election Commission.

Council Members

City Council consists of eight members nominated and elected by the qualified voters of their respective ward. Two members are elected from each ward. A council member must be a qualified voter of the city, a resident of the city for at least one year prior to the election and a resident of the ward he or she seeks to represent. Council members serve staggered two-year terms. At the regular municipal election, council members are elected to fill the positions of those whose terms expire. A council member may serve five consecutive terms. A council member's two-year term of office begins at the City Council Meeting after certification by the St. Louis County Election Commission.

Special Elections

The City Council may by ordinance order special elections and fix the time for such elections. Other possible election times are February, June, August and November.