Voters will be heading to the polls today to decide a handful of local races and issues, as well as five state amendments.
Polls are open from 6 a.m.-7 p.m. County Clerk Marvin Register has predicted a 34 percent turnout, countywide.
Individual polling places are listed on the registration card sent out earlier by the county clerk's office - and Cole County's voting sites were published on page D-11 of Sunday's News Tribune.
Cole County voters are asked to decide whether the county should establish a county-wide zoning plan.
Russellville voters also are being asked to decide a $2.5 million sewage system bond issue.
Statewide, voters will decide five constitutional amendments proposed by the Legislature:
• 1 - Ensures Missourians' "right ... to engage in agricultural production and ranching practices."
• 5 - Declares the "right to bear to keep and bear arms is ... unalienable."
• 7 - Adds a ¾-cent sales tax for 10 years, to pay for transportation projects around the state.
• 8 - Creates a "Veterans Lottery Ticket" to raise money for "projects and services related to veterans."
• 9 - Adds "electronic communications and data" to items protected from "unreasonable searches and seizures."
Because it's a primary election, voters can take only one ballot from among the four parties with candidates - Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or Constitution. The last two have no primary contests.
Democrats have only one contest in Cole County, between Velma Steinman and Courtney Denton for the U.S. House 3rd District seat.
Cole County Republicans have two contests: Leonard Steinman, incumbent Blaine Luetkemeyer and John Morris for the U.S. House 3rd District seat, and Patty Bates, Steve Korsmeyer or Rik Combs for county clerk.
GOP voters in the southeastern part of the county - in the state House 62nd District - also can choose between Bruce Sassman and incumbent Tom Hurst.