Northwest Missourian: Respect MO Voters provides multiple petitions for attendees to sign, ballot spots are on the line

Respect MO Voters, a campaign advocating for citizen’s rights, is spearheading initiative petition 2026-106.

The petition proposes the Respect Missouri Voters Amendment be made to the Missouri Constitution. This amendment would prevent politicians from overturning Missouri votes, and prevent deceptive practices from being used to confuse Missouri voters, according to the Respect MO Voters website.

To qualify for ballots, Respect MO Voters held a pop-up petition-signing event 5 p.m. Nov. 11 at The Rose Theatre to gather signatures on four key issues.

These issues range in topic from LGBTQ+ rights to the rights of public education, and it included the petition to overturn the recent congressional map.

Respect MO Voters volunteer Megan Vesel said regardless of political affiliation, it should not be allowed for politicians to dismiss the votes of Missouri voters. This was in regard to initiative petition 2026-106.

“I don't think it's right to overturn things that people have voted for in the past,” Vesel said. “In the past in Missouri, you've had both Democratic and Republican legislatures who have tried to overturn what people have voted for. We just don't think they should be allowed to do it.”

Respect MO Voters’ campaign goal is to collect 300,000 signatures by the end of April 2026, so it can add its initiative on the ballot in November 2026.

Eagleville, Missouri, resident Peggy Sturdevant attended the event and emphasised the importance of signing the Respect MO Voters petition.

“This event is important for democracy,” Sturdevant said.

Cindy Roach, a volunteer for Respect MO Voters, described a similar message of voter choice and turnout.

“People need to be able to voice their opinions,” Roach said. “If we vote something in, it should be a law. If the majority of people in the state want them, then that’s what it should be, the legislators shouldn't be able to override it.”

One of the other petitions at the event was the congressional map gerrymandering petition backed by People Not Politicians. The petition would allow citizens to vote on whether to keep the congressional map change or not in 2026, according to National Public Radio.

The petition needs at least around 106,000 signatures by Dec. 11 to gain a spot on the ballot, but the People Not Politicians’ goal is to receive 190,000 signatures.

Vesel said citizens should stay politically educated in order to understand what policies might affect them and other people.

“While you might hang around with your same group of people…you need to reach outside of that,” Vesel said. “There are other people out there whose rights are also being trampled on that also need to have their voices heard.”

There were also two LGBTQ+ rights petitions spearheaded by Mo4LGBTQ at the petition-signing event. Roach said LGBTQ+ rights is an important topic to her.

Petition 2026-018 would change the wording of marriage in the state from “between a man and a woman” to “between two consenting adults” to protect gay marriage. Petition 2026-019 would include categories like sexual orientation, pregnancy and gender identity to be protected from discrimination in Missouri, according to Mo4LGBTQ. 

The final petition at the event, 2026-070, is spearheaded by Missouri Right to Education. The petition would keep public education adequate and equitable for students regardless of cost, according to the petition.

All three of these petitions also have a goal of gaining 300,000 signatures by the end of April 2026 for a ballot position like the Respect MO Voters petition.

Bridget Gibson, soon-to-be president of the Missouri Federation of Women's Democratic Clubs, said alongside staying politically educated, these petitions are not partisan to any political affiliation, but aim to improve the rights of people.

“Most of these petitions are not left or right,” Gibson said. “These are human rights petitions. This isn't about politics. This is about life.”

You can read the article on the Northwestern Missourian’s website here.