Cape Girardeau County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
15 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 11 Cape Girardeau County races, led by the Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner contest.
County offices
Presiding CommissionerCharlie Herbst (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Charlie Herbst (Republican) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner.
Charlie Herbst
Charlie Herbst has served as Cape Girardeau County's District 2 associate commissioner since 2012, per the Southeast Missourian. He is a former Cape Girardeau police officer who served on the force from 1989 to 1999 and later served two terms on the Cape Girardeau City Council from 2002 to 2010, per the Southeast Missourian. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
August 4 primary result: Charlie Herbst won the Republican nomination with about 56.2 percent of the vote over Joe Hobbs (about 25.4 percent) and J.W. Strack (about 18.4 percent), per the county's official August 4 results. The county's official live results tracker (livevoterturnout.com) returned inconsistent vote totals on repeated checks and was not used for the exact count.
Full race pageClerkKara Clark Summers (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Kara Clark Summers
Kara Clark Summers has served as Cape Girardeau County Clerk since 2007, per The Cash-Book Journal. She has served as president of the Missouri Association of County Clerks and Election Authorities and received the group's 2024 Rosemary Plitt Award for her work on election security and operations, per the Southeast Missourian. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Kara Clark Summers drew no primary opponent in either party and is unopposed on the November 3 ballot, per the Cape Girardeau County Clerk's official candidate filing page.
Full race pageCircuit ClerkAshley Schuessler (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Ashley Schuessler
Ashley Schuessler appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Cape Girardeau County Circuit Clerk, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Ashley Schuessler.
Ashley Schuessler drew no primary opponent in either party and is unopposed on the November 3 ballot, per the Cape Girardeau County Clerk's official candidate filing page.
Full race pageRecorder of DeedsAndrew David Blattner (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Andrew David Blattner
Andrew David Blattner has served as Cape Girardeau County Recorder of Deeds since 2015 and was sworn in for a second term in December 2018, per The Cash-Book Journal. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Andrew David Blattner drew no primary opponent in either party and is unopposed on the November 3 ballot, per the Cape Girardeau County Clerk's official candidate filing page.
Full race pageProsecuting AttorneyMark J. Welker (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Mark J. Welker
Mark J. Welker holds a bachelor's degree from Southeast Missouri State University and a law degree from Southern Illinois University, and has practiced law in Cape Girardeau County since 2013. He was appointed Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney by Gov. Mike Parson in August 2018 and has served in the office since, per KRCU. He was named one of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys' 2025 Prosecutors of the Year and co-chairs the association's legislative committee, per KBSI FOX23. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Mark J. Welker drew no primary opponent in either party and is unopposed on the November 3 ballot, per the Cape Girardeau County Clerk's official candidate filing page.
Full race pageAuditorEugene (Pete) Frazier III (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Eugene (Pete) Frazier III
Eugene (Pete) Frazier III was sworn in for a third term as Cape Girardeau County Auditor in December 2018, per The Cash-Book Journal. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Eugene (Pete) Frazier III drew no primary opponent in either party and is unopposed on the November 3 ballot, per the Cape Girardeau County Clerk's official candidate filing page.
Full race pageCollector of RevenueBarbara Gholson (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Barbara Gholson
Barbara Gholson is a lifelong resident of the Tilsit and Gordonville area who spent 20 years as a deputy in the collector's office before being appointed interim collector in November 2018 after Diane Diebold's resignation, per The Cash-Book Journal. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Barbara Gholson drew no primary opponent in either party and is unopposed on the November 3 ballot, per the Cape Girardeau County Clerk's official candidate filing page.
Full race pageJudges
Circuit Judge, 32nd Judicial Circuit, Division 1Scott A. Lipke (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Scott A. Lipke (Republican) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Circuit Judge, 32nd Judicial Circuit, Division 1.
Scott A. Lipke
Scott A. Lipke is the Republican nominee for Circuit Judge, 32nd Judicial Circuit, Division 1 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Scott A. Lipke (Republican) is the only certified candidate for this partisan circuit judgeship, which serves Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry counties, per the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list. Circuit judges in nonpartisan court plan circuits appear as retention questions instead.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Cape Girardeau County is split across 3 Missouri House districts.
Find your districts by addressMissouri House: 3 districtsDistricts 146, 147, 151
Missouri House District 146Lucas Green (R) · Mary Harriet Talbut (D)
Lucas Green
Lucas Green, of Jackson, is a Cape Girardeau County native, National Guard veteran who served 11 years including a tour in Iraq and earned an Army Commendation Medal, and a local business owner, per the Southeast Missourian. His brother, Jason Green, is running for Missouri House District 116 in the same election. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Mary Harriet Talbut
Top priorities
- Opposes voucher programs that redirect taxpayer money away from public education and supports fair teacher pay
- Opposes replacing the income tax with expanded sales taxes, saying it falls hardest on working and middle-class families
- Supports investment in internet access, roads and bridges in Jackson and Cape Girardeau County
Per the campaign site.
About Mary Harriet Talbut
Mary Harriet Talbut is a former government teacher and college educator at Southeast Missouri State University who worked 15 years as an Instructional Designer, per her campaign site. Talbut grew up in Jackson, Missouri, where her mother, Marybelle Mueller, was the first woman elected judge in Missouri, per her campaign site. Talbut is running for Missouri House District 146, per her campaign site.
Lucas Green (Republican), Mary Harriet Talbut (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMissouri House District 147John Voss (R) · Tim Palmer (D) · Greg Tlapek (Libertarian)
John Voss
John Voss worked in management for The Procter & Gamble Corporation, leading domestic and international business assignments, per his official Missouri House biography. He represents the City of Cape Girardeau in House District 147 and was first elected in November 2022, per the same source. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Tim Palmer
Tim Palmer is the Democratic nominee for Missouri House District 147 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Greg Tlapek
Greg Tlapek is the Libertarian nominee for Missouri House District 147 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
John Voss (Republican), Tim Palmer (Democratic), Greg Tlapek (Libertarian) meet on the November 3 ballot; John Voss is the sitting member per the House roster. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageMissouri House District 151Steve W Jordan (R) · Pam Proffitt-Rowland (D)
Steve W Jordan
Steve Jordan spent more than 34 years as vice president and general manager of Heavy Duty Trux LTD before his election, per his official Missouri House biography. He represents Stoddard County and parts of Bollinger and Cape Girardeau counties in House District 151 and was first elected in November 2024, per the same source. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Pam Proffitt-Rowland
Pam Proffitt-Rowland is the Democratic nominee for Missouri House District 151 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Steve W Jordan (Republican), Pam Proffitt-Rowland (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Steve W Jordan is the sitting member per the House roster. Missouri has no runoffs; the August 4 primary winner of each party is the nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Missouri Secretary of State's certified general election candidate list (certified August 25, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Missouri nominees were set by the August 4 primary (plurality, no runoffs) and meet on the November 3 ballot; unopposed nominees still print. All 163 state House seats, the even-numbered state Senate districts, partisan circuit judgeships in non-plan circuits and the county offices on the four-year off-presidential cycle (presiding commissioner, clerk, circuit clerk, auditor, recorder, collector, prosecuting attorney) are up; sheriff, assessor, treasurer and the associate commissioners were elected in 2024, per the Secretary of State.
Who is on the ballot in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri on November 3, 2026?
Cape Girardeau County sample ballot 2026: who is running for presiding commissioner, county clerk and circuit clerk, with bios, priorities and campaign sites. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Missouri?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Missouri are listed on the Missouri election hub. Missouri election hub →
How do I see my exact Cape Girardeau County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Sample ballot by ZIP code in Cape Girardeau County11 ZIP codes
Candidate roster last updated Sep 25, 2026 from official election sources.