MissouriMissouri asks voters to require sheriff elections, with exceptions
Missouri lawmakers approved a vote on electing sheriffs every four years; voters must approve before the rules would apply outside exempt city and charter counties.
What it does
If voters approve the amendment, counties would elect sheriffs by majority vote for four-year terms. A city outside any county and two defined groups of charter counties would be exempt.
If voters approve it, sheriffs outside the city and charter county exceptions would lead county law enforcement and keep the peace. They would attend court when directed and carry out papers issued by circuit or associate circuit judges, unless their office did not do that work as of August 28, 2026.
If voters approve it, sheriffs outside the city and charter county exceptions would hire the staff they need and could set their pay within allocated money. The sheriff could dismiss those workers.
If voters approve it, an elected sheriff outside the city and charter county exceptions could be removed only through a court case started by the state attorney general.
Argument forIf voters approve it, elections every four years could help residents in covered counties hold their chief law enforcement officer answerable to voters.
Argument againstIf voters approve it, residents in covered counties might struggle to remove a sheriff because only the attorney general could start the required court case.
More detail
Covered counties would elect sheriffs to four-year terms by majority vote. It excludes any city outside a county, charter counties next to such a city, and charter counties with over 400,000 residents next to a county with over 900,000 residents. Missouri voters must approve the constitutional amendment. The proposal calls for a vote at the November 2026 general election or a special election called by the governor. Sheriff elections would follow the schedule set by law when the amendment takes effect, then occur every four years.
Sheriffs would lead county law enforcement, keep the peace, and perform the listed court duties. The duties exclude any city outside a county and the two charter county groups defined by their location and population. Missouri voters must approve the amendment. A sheriff would attend court when directed by the court. A sheriff would not have to carry out the listed court papers if the office did not perform that duty as of August 28, 2026. The exception for carrying out court papers depends on whether the sheriff's office performed that duty as of August 28, 2026.
Sheriffs would choose their staff and could set staff pay within the money allocated for it. This applies outside any city that is not in a county and the two defined groups of charter counties. Missouri voters must approve the amendment. Staff would serve at the sheriff's choice, and pay would stay within the money allocated for that purpose.
An elected sheriff could be removed only through a court case started by the attorney general. This covers elected county sheriffs except in the two defined groups of charter counties; a city outside a county is also exempt. Missouri voters must approve the amendment. The attorney general would have to start a court case called quo warranto.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Passed 2nd Chamber
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 28Reported Duly Enrolled Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions & Ethics CommitteeLatest
- May 28Signed by Senate President Pro Tem
- May 28Signed by House Speaker
- May 28Delivered to Secretary of State
- May 15S Conferees allowed to exceed the differences
- May 15CCR S offered & adopted (4330S06.1SR)
- May 15CCS S Third Read and PassedMajor
- May 15H adopts CCR --(4330S06.1SR)
- May 15CCS H Third Read and PassedMajor
- May 15Truly Agreed To and Finally PassedMajor
- May 14S distributes CCR (4330S06.1SR)
- May 14S distributes CCS (4330S.06S)
- May 14H distributes CCR
- May 13Motion to concur in HCS, as amended S withdrawn
- May 13S refuses to concur in HCS, as amended and requests H recede or grant conference
- May 13H refuses to recede and grants conference
- May 13House conferees appointed: Cook, Roberts, Hewkin, Anderson, Butz
- May 13Senate conferees appointed: Carter, Bernskoetter, Brown (26), May, Roberts
- May 11Voted Do Pass H Fiscal ReviewMinor
- May 11Reported Do Pass H Fiscal ReviewMinor
- May 11HA 1 to HCS H offered & adopted (Butz)--(4330H03.02H)
- May 11HCS, as amended, H adopted 4330H.03C
- May 11H Third Read and PassedMajor
- Apr 28HCS Voted Do Pass H Rules - AdministrativeMinor
- Apr 28HCS Reported Do Pass H Rules - AdministrativeMinor
- Apr 28Referred H Fiscal Review CommitteeMinor
- Apr 23HCS Referred H Rules - AdministrativeMinor
- Apr 14HCS Voted Do Pass H Crime and Public SafetyMinor
- Apr 14HCS Reported Do Pass H Crime and Public SafetyMinor
- Apr 7Hearing Conducted H Crime and Public Safety
- Mar 31Referred H Crime and Public SafetyMinor
- Mar 26H Second ReadMinor
- Mar 25Voted Do Pass S Fiscal Oversight CommitteeMinor
- Mar 25Reported from S Fiscal Oversight Committee
- Mar 25S Third Read and PassedPassed 2nd Chamber
- Mar 25H First ReadMinor
- Mar 24SS S offered (Carter)--(4330S.02F)
- Mar 24SA 1 to SS S offered & adopted (May)--(4330S02.06S)
- Mar 24SA 2 to SS S offered & defeated (Lewis)--(4330S02.05S)
- Mar 24SS, as amended, S adoptedPassed 1st Chamber
- Mar 24Perfected
- Mar 24Reported Truly Perfected S Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee
- Mar 24Referred S Fiscal Oversight CommitteeMinor
- Mar 9Reported from S General Laws Committee
- Feb 18Voted Do Pass S General Laws CommitteeMinor
- Feb 11Hearing Conducted S General Laws Committee
- Jan 27Second Read and Referred S General Laws CommitteeMinor
- Jan 7S First ReadMinor
- 2025
- Dec 1PrefiledIntroduced
Civil Rights & VotingPublic SafetyGovernment & Ethics