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How to enter the

Show Me the Vote TikTok Challenge

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  1. Must be registered to vote in the Nov. 5, 2024 election (see How to Register to Vote below)

  2. May register to vote at age 17 1/2

  3. Find your legislators (see Tools to Research below) 

  4. Choose a topic for your TikTok (see Topics For Your TikTok listed below)

  5. Research your topic (see Tools for Research listed below)

  6. Find out how your legislator(s) feel about the topic

  7. Create and post your TikTok on your site by March 31, 2024, then fill  out the registration form

  8. Click here for the registration form. Be sure to scroll past the signature line and click on submit

  9. Three (3) $500 winners will be selected

  10. TikToks will be judged by Jefferson County Democratic Central Committee and/or Women Dems on originality, truthfulness, and impact

  11. All information provided will not be sold or used by 3rd parties

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How to Register to Vote

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Tools to Research, Track Bills, & Contact Legislators

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  • Senate.mo.gov/legislookup/default  - Enter your address and find all your Missouri and federal legislators

  • Senate.Mo.gov   - Missouri Senate

  • House.Mo.gov   - Missouri House of Representatives

  • Senate.gov   - US Senate

  • House.gov   - US House of Representatives

  • FastDemocracy.com   - This is a commercial product that offers a free version and is especially helpful in tracking bills via category or legislator for both federal and state legislation

  • BillTrack50   - Also a free bill-tracking tool for federal and state legislation

  • LegiScan  - Another free bill-tracking tool

  • OpenSecrets   - Tracks money in US politics and the effects on elections and public policy

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Topics for your Tik Tok:

 

Please read all the topics before selecting one for your TikTok 

 

Climate Change - July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded & changes in climate will impact many areas of our lives. Things that we depend upon and value — water, energy, transportation, wildlife, agriculture, ecosystems, and human health — are experiencing the effects of a changing climate.

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How do you think climate change will affect your life? 

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Initiative Petition Law in Missouri – The 116 year old  Missouri Initiative Process gives citizens a voice & allows for direct participation in our government. In the 2022-2023 legislative session, attempts were made by the legislature to increase the required signatures to unreachable numbers. During the 2022-2023 legislative session, HJR 43 passed in the House but failed to pass the Senate prior to adjournment.  Similar bills have been introduced in the 2024 session.

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What do you think about making it harder for ordinary citizens to use this power? 

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Minimum Wage in Missouri – In 2015, St. Louis City government voted to raise the minimum wage. A group of businesses, including the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, filed suit to block the increase. It took 3 years of litigation for the city to finally raise the wage from $7.65/hour to $11.00/hour. In 2018, an initiative petition gathered voter signatures to place a minimum wage increase on a statewide ballot, and it passed. The minimum wage in Missouri rose from $7.85/hour to $12.00/hour over 4 years. 

 

Currently, an initiative petition  is being circulated to raise the minimum wage to $15.00/hour by 2026 with a cost of living adjustment & provisions for earned sick leave. If enough signatures are gathered, the proposition will appear on the November 2024 ballot.

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How do you think raising the minimum wage benefits people?

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LGBTQ+ Rights –  Some Missouri legislators have been trying to pass a bill nicknamed MONA (Missouri Non-discrimination Act) for over 25 years to provide protections to the LGBTQ+ community in employment, housing, and public accommodations afforded to all other Missourians. 

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Do you think the LGBTQ+ community should be protected from discrimination in Missouri & why?

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Gun Safety in Missouri – In 2021, Gov. Mike Parson signed the Second Amendment Preservation Act, MO HB85, which prohibited local law enforcement officials from enforcing federal firearms laws & imposed fines of $50,000 for violations of that ban. In 2023, the bill was ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. 19 states have enacted red flag laws which allow for temporary firearm removal from individuals believed to be at risk of harming themselves or others. Currently, Missouri does not have such a law. The most recent school shooting in our area occurred on October 24, 2022, at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, killing a student & a teacher.

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What do you think we should do about gun violence in Missouri? 

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Book Banning – According to the Springfield News-Leader, 333 books were banned by Missouri schools in the 2022-2023 year. That ranks Missouri as the 3rd largest book banner, right behind Texas and Florida. Similar efforts are now underway in Jefferson County schools.

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What do you think about banning books in schools?

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Public Schools – State funding for public schools in Missouri is 49th in the nation & 50th in starting teacher pay. 30% of Missouri public schools have been forced to operate on a 4-day per week schedule. Efforts are currently underway to divert funding for public schools to private/charter schools utilizing vouchers.

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How do you think taking funds from public schools will affect public education in Missouri?

 

Abortion & Reproductive Healthcare - As of 06/24/22, abortion in Missouri is completely banned with very limited exceptions. Missouri requires an “affirmative defense,” meaning a provider has to prove in court that an abortion met the criteria for a legal exception. The only exception is in the case of medical emergency. There are no exceptions in cases of rape or incest, fetal deformity or in utero death of the fetus. Attempts are being made to reinstate access to abortion in Missouri through the Initiative Petition process.  Access to contraceptives in some areas of Missouri is limited. Access to maternal/prenatal care in some areas of Missouri is also limited. Infant mortality in Missouri has increased from 2021-2022. Sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates are at an all-time high according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Missouri is experiencing the same rate increases, especially in syphilis and congenital syphilis (when a mother passes the infection on to her baby during pregnancy). In 2015, Missouri recorded two cases of congenital syphilis. In 2021, this number increased to 63. Approximately 40% of babies born to women with untreated syphilis can be stillborn or die from the infection as a newborn. Babies born with congenital syphilis can have bone damage, severe anemia, enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, nerve problems causing blindness or deafness, meningitis, or skin rashes.

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What are your thoughts on access to abortion and reproductive healthcare in Missouri?

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