There is no 2024 Presidential Preference Primary Election paid for by, regulated by, or conducted by the State of Missouri and county election authorities.

The answer to whether there is a Presidential Preference Primary Election is more complicated. The answer: Yes, sorta, Maybe, and No.

If you are only looking for MDP Presidential Preference Primary Timeline, go to the end.

In 2022, the Republican super majority of the Missouri General Assembly passed, and Republican Governor Mike Parson signed into law, House Bill 1878 as amended, a seven page bill which grew to 82 pages. Among the many, many, many provisions, this election-related measure repealed State-run, State paid for Presidential Preference Primaries. They have been replaced with a series of political party caucuses (Delegate Selection), to be funded by the parties, to nominate a candidate for President before the national conventions and send delegates to the conventions.

For Republicans, Missouri is a caucus-only state. The placeholder webpage (or finally updated, depending on when you read this) for March 3rd Missouri GOP Presidential Caucuses is here.

Missouri Democrats are also having caucuses but also sorta having a Presidential Preference Primary Election.

If you go to the Missouri Democratic Party (MDP) website, and I’m not suggesting you should because it will hurt your head, nothing will jump out at you about a Presidential Preference Primary. Wander around long enough on the site and you MAY find the MDP Delegate Selection Plan dated October 31, 2023. It’s a 72 page pdf of legalese written for party insiders, not voters.

That Delegate Selection Plan is the MDP Caucus Plan with a side of Sorta Presidential Primary Election to be held on March 23rd. The Plan calls for Mail-In Voting run by MDP and MAY include an In-Person Election run by MDP and County Central Committees. As a former St. Louis City Democratic Committeewoman, I hear your collective moans and “great, just great” about City Dems running an election.

The MDP Presidential Preference Primary is open to all registered voters whose “registration reflects Democrat or Unaffiliated status,” per the MDP Plan.

Per the MDP Plan, their election will be conducted by a contractor. December 31st was their fundraising deadline for $175,000 for the Party-run election. I don’t know if that was met. Without raising that money, the MDP reserved the right to cancel the In-Person Voting and just have Vote-By-Mail. They have put out no information on the election, so it’s reasonable to assume they may not have raised the money.

If the MDP did not reach the fundraising goal and have to cancel the In-Person Election, MDP Chair Rusty Carnahan is ready to blame the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The MDP wanted Ranked-Choice Voting for the Party-run election, which the DNC rejected. It appears that Carnahan was planning on raising money for the election from pro-Ranked-Choice sources. See October 31, 2023 letter from Carnahan.

Per The Plan, the MDP will send a mailer to registered Democrats by February 1st with information on how to vote in their Party-run Primary. You will not get the mailer, however, if you have not changed your voter registration to signify you are a Democrat (a very new thing in Missouri), OR did add party affiliation but it’s not showing on Secretary of State Jay “I Will Kick Biden Off The November Ballot” Ashcroft’s statewide database as of January 22, 2024. You may still vote in the election, you just won’t get the mailer.

Also, per The Plan, the MDP will work with the contractor to provide a Vote-By-Mail package that includes: “a copy-proof ballot, a ballot envelope, a return envelope, and an outer mail envelope complete with return postage indicia. Materials will be coded with voter-specific identifiers.” You will have to contact MDP to get the packet. Please do not call your County Clerk or Election Board for information or complaints. They have nothing to do with this election.

If the MDP Presidential Preference Primary In-Person Election is held, each Missouri County will have one polling place, except “St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas will have multiple polling places.” It’s a crappy plan. 61 of 115 Counties in Missouri have smaller populations than the smallest ward in St. Louis City and people in rural counties may have to drive a very long way to their polling place.

Also

St. Louis City 6th Ward Alder Daniela Velazquez and St. Louis County Meramec Township Democratic Committeeman Brian Wingbermuehle serve on MDP’s Delegate Selection and Affirmative Action Committee.

Links to Political Parties in St. Louis City recognized by State of Missouri
Democratic Central Committee (not a secure site)
Republican Central Committee
Libertarian Party

News articles about Missouri Democrats Presidential Primary. I have found very few and not posting the press release from SOS Ashcroft some are using as news.

September 20, 2023. St. Louis Public Radio. Missouri GOP and Democrats to take different paths in selecting presidential delegates

September 7, 2023. Missouri Independent. Mail-in ballots, ranked-choice voting part of Missouri Democrat plan for presidential primary. Party Chairman Russ Carnahan says cash-poor party has donors ready to underwrite heavy cost of holding election with polling sites in every county

August 31, 2023. Spectrum News. ‘Lemonade out of lemons’: Political parties scramble on new rules for 2024 presidential race in Missouri

August 30, 2023. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Missouri Democrats to allow 17-year-olds to vote in party-run presidential primary

MDP Presidential Primary Timeline

Sunday, December 31, 2023: MDP Fundraising deadline for $175,000 in election administration funds

Tuesday, January 2, 2023: Presidential candidate filing opens with MDP

Monday, January 22, 2024: Presidential candidate deadline for certifying the name(s) of their authorized representative(s) to MDP, filling a statement of candidacy, submitting an affirmative action plan, and paying the necessary filing fee

Monday, January 22, 2024: MDP pulls Voter List from Missouri Secretary of State for all registered Democrats in Missouri

Thursday, February 1, 2024: MDP mails Voter List of registered Democrats with instructions on how to participate in the Presidential Preference Primary. Advertising campaign begins.

Monday, February 12, 2024: MDP begins Mail-In Ballot distribution

February 21*, 2024: Deadline to Register to Vote in MDP Presidential Preference Primary. If you are registered to vote but have not declared party affiliation yet, you will still be allowed to vote in this Party-run election. Open to voters who are Democrats or Unaffiliated. That’s the date in MDP Delegate Selection Plan. Springfield News-Leader says February 26th.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024: Deadline to request Mail-In Ballot from MDP

8 am to Noon Saturday, March 23, 2024: MDP Presidential Preference Primary In-Person Election (if held)

10 am Saturday, March 23, 2024: Deadline for MDP to receive your Mail-In Ballot

Monday, March 25, 2024: Deadline for MDP Primary results to be announced