Unlock The Ballot
Our legal and electoral systems are complex—even the most informed among us may not know all the details. In response to readers’ election questions, The St. Louis American has launched the “Unlock the Ballot” initiative to demystify down-ballot propositions and races for judges and school board seats. Now more than ever, St. Louisans need to be informed about lesser-known candidates and issues that may not make headlines but deeply affect our lives and communities.
Vote in Special Elections Tuesday, Nov. 4
Special elections are being held in St. Louis, Missouri, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. Here’s a ballot content report (FOR INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY): CITY OF BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS Simple Majority Required PROPOSITION 1 Shall the municipality of Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri impose an additional sales tax of three percent (3%) on the retail sale of adult use…
A ‘lifelong commitment to justice’
Illinois Supreme Court Justice P. Scott Neville Jr. will become the court’s 123rd chief justice and only the second Black jurist to hold the post. His peers selected him to succeed Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis, who will continue as an associate justice when he assumes the top leadership position on Oct. 26. As chief…
Great Rivers Greenway celebrates its 25th anniversary
Ricky Hughes enjoys the serenade of insects and birds as the wind whips past him during his early morning runs. His favorite trails, Truman Park in Hazelwood and Grants Trail, which runs through Kirkwood and River Des Peres, are part of the 135 miles of trails Great Rivers Greenway has developed since 2000. This year…
Is your property tax fair?
Kally Coleman paid well over market value when she bought her south city home in St. Louis in 2023. The housing market was competitive, and she needed to secure the property quickly because her former home had been flooded, she was ill and her partner was terminally ill and needed a place to live comfortably…
From The Ville to the courtroom, the journey of Judge Booker T. Shaw
Our legal and electoral systems are complex—even the most informed among us may not know all the details. In response to readers’ election questions, The St. Louis American is launching the “Unlock the Ballot” initiative to demystify down-ballot propositions and races for judges and school board seats. Now more than ever, St. Louisans need to…
Will gerrymandering reach St. Louis?
The Missouri Legislative Black Caucus held a press conference Monday, August 11 at St. Louis City Hall. The gathering was held to express its opposition to possible gerrymandering in the state. Discussions about implementing the practice have begun in Kansas City. Gerrymandering entails the redrawing of electoral district boundaries to benefit a political party or…