Citizens interested in running for a City Council seat in April 2026 may pick up their nominating petitions from the City Clerk starting Tuesday, November 18, 2025. Petitions must be returned to the City Clerk by 5:00 pm, Tuesday, January 13, to be eligible for the April 7, 2026, election.
The Council will have five seats on the ballot, including three general seats and one seat each in Zone 1 and Zone 4. Currently, Doug Lawson, Doris Carlin, and Josh DeTar hold the general seats. Gary Shaw holds the Zone 1 seat, and Mark Farnham holds the seat in Zone 4. All seats would be elected for a term of four years.
To be eligible, citizens must be qualified voters and have been residents of Joplin for at least four years immediately before the election. Those who are seeking election within Council Zone 1 or 4 should be residents and qualified voters within the respective zones in which they file as a candidate. Candidates will also be required to show their voter identification card to the City Clerk when applying for the election.
Nominations of candidates for all elective offices shall be by petition. General seat candidates should obtain 150 signatures from registered Joplin voters throughout the city. Zone candidates will need to obtain 150 signatures from registered Joplin voters, with 75 of those coming from the represented zone. Zone elections are included in the citywide ballot. All candidates will also be required to sign a declaration of candidacy with the City Clerk’s office.
Candidates can seek the state requirements for filing financial reports on their campaigns through the Missouri Ethics Commission.
The City Clerk will provide a booklet on Council Election Guidelines, providing more details about this process to interested parties. For more information, contact Holly Nagy, Joplin City Clerk, on the second floor of City Hall, 602 South Main, by calling 417.624.0820, ext. 1220, or via email at hnagy@joplinmo.org.
Reference:
Lynn Iliff Onstot, Public Information Officer
City of Joplin
417.624.0820, ext. 204
LOnstot@joplinmo.org
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