Tours & Events

St. Louis County’s Board of Elections (BOE) welcomes groups from schools and organizations to visit its facility for an in-depth behind-the-scenes experience. In 2021 and 2022, visitors came from around the country and even some from around the world to observe how elections are administered in St. Louis County.

Tours

Election Officials

In the election industry, election officials tend to seek input from their counterparts on voting equipment, best practices and innovative ideas. Throughout the past two years, several election officials from around the country visited the BOE several times to learn from each other and share experiences.

International Observers

International election administrators and observers from Zambia, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Austria, Sweden, and the UK all visited the BOE in 2022. Some of these visitors were a part of professional exchanges and others visited as part of formal international election observation missions.

Political Parties

In St. Louis County, central committees exist for each of the established political parties. The Election Board encourages the committee chairs to arrange tours for committee members to learn about the continued improvements at the BOE. This information is then shared by the members with the voters who live in the townships they represent.

Schools

Teaching both educators and students at local colleges about voter registration and absentee voting helps enable the younger generation to make their voice heard. Groups from UMSL and Civitas, a non-profit organization which organizes Model UN programs, visited the BOE in 2022 to understand how students can enhance and change the election process.

Events

In June 2022, the St. Louis Press Club partnered with the BOE to host "Watchdogs of Democracy: The Media’s Role in Fair Elections". Members of the club had the opportunity to enjoy a keynote speech on safe and secure elections as well as a panel discussion that featured representatives from state and local government and media.