The American privilege to vote arrives again Tuesday when important primaries will help decide future national, state and local races.

 Early August is not known for large turnouts, yet critical issues are on the ballot, as well as important decisions on which individuals advance to the general elections. In several heavily partisan areas, the primary determines the ultimate victor. Have a say and vote. By doing so, you help decide the future outlook of politics in Kansas and Missouri, the fate of a new tax in Kansas City, and an important bond issue.

 Kansas has started tightening its voter ID requirements, so be sure to arrive with a photo ID. As a reminder, older voters may bring an expired driver’s license as adequate ID. Also acceptable for all voters are passports, government IDs, student IDs and driver’s licenses.

 Polls are open in Missouri from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Kansas polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Here are The Star’s recommendations in select contested primaries on Tuesday. (No recommendations appear for candidates in uncontested races.)

MISSOURI

U.S. SENATE

Republican — John Brunner

U.S. HOUSE

Republican:

5th District — Jerry Nolte

6th District — Sam Graves

Democrat:

6th District — Kyle Yarber

GOVERNOR

Republican — Dave Spence

Democrat — Jay Nixon

LIEUTENANT GOV.

Republican — Peter Kinder

Democrat — Susan Montee

SECRETARY OF STATE

Republican — Bill Stouffer

Democrat — Jason Kander

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Republican — Adam Lee Warren

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 2

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to ensure religious beliefs shall not be infringed, school children have the right to pray in school, and all public schools shall display the Bill of Rights? — NO

MISSOURI SENATE

Democrat:

District 7 — Crystal Williams

MISSOURI HOUSE

Republican:

District 12 — Josh Hurlbert

District 16 — Noel J. Shull

District 25 — Joshua Judy

District 31 — Sheila Solon

Democrat:

District 15 — Carol Suter

District 22 — Brandon

Ellington

District 23 — Randy Dunn

District 24 — Sarah Gillooly

District 27 — Bonnaye V. Mims

District 28 — Tom McDonald

District 31 — Dale Walkup

District 37 — Joe Runions

KANSAS CITY

Question 1 — Shall the city stop collecting the trafficway maintenance tax, park and boulevard maintenance tax, and the boulevards and parkways front foot assessment and enact a half-cent sales tax to help parks, parkways, boulevards and community centers? And shall it establish a dedicated fund for street maintenance and transfer no less than 7.5 percent of the net annual earnings tax receipts to the street fund? — NO

Question 2 — Shall the city issue sewer system revenue bonds up to $500 million to comply with the federally mandated consent decree to cut pollution, with the principal and interest of the bonds to be payable solely from the revenues from sewer customers? — YES

JACKSON COUNTY

Democrat:

Sheriff — Mike Sharp

CLAY COUNTY

Republican:

Assessor — Donald Jobe

Democrat:

Western Commissioner — Larry Larson

Assessor — Tom Brandom

Sheriff — Bob Neal

PLATTE COUNTY

Republican:

County Commission

District 1 — Kathy

Dusenbery

KANSAS

U.S. HOUSE

Democrat:

2nd District — Tobias

Schlingensiepen

KANSAS SENATE

Republican:

District 7 — Kay Wolf

District 8 — Thomas C. (Tim) Owens

District 10 — Tom Wertz

District 11 — Pat Colloton

District 21 — Joe Beveridge

District 37 — Pat Apple

Democrat:

District 6 — Pat Pettey

KANSAS HOUSE

Republican:

District 8 — Sheryl Spalding

District 14 — Janet King

District 15 — Elliot Lahn

District 17 — Jason Leib

District 18 — Neal L. Sawyer

District 19 — Stephanie Clayton

District 20 — Mark Read

District 25 — Melissa A. Rooker

District 26 — Larry L.

Campbell

District 28 — Mark Hagen

District 29 — Jim Yonally

District 30 — Ron Worley

District 38 — David R.

Anderson

District 39 — Stephanie Meyer

Democrat:

District 14 — Roberta A. Eveslage

District 24 — Emily Perry

District 25 — Megan England

JOHNSON COUNTY

County Commission (nonpartisan)

3rd District — Steve Klika or Michael Lally

HOT TOPICS

KANSAS CITY QUESTION 1

What it does: Boosts the city’s sales tax by a half cent while cutting three small property taxes. The result: City Hall would collect an extra $23 million a year in tax revenue. The city would use much of the new money to help finance the Parks and Recreation Department and repair more roads.

Our recommendation: Voters should reject the question. The city has failed to provide compelling reasons to drop long-established property taxes in favor of a higher regressive sales tax. Many long-term financial problems such as pension reform remain unresolved.

KANSAS CITY QUESTION 2

What it does: The city wants to issue $500 million in bonds to start paying for the federally mandated $2.5 billion sewer improvement plan. The goal is to reduce overflows of sewage into local waters. Sewer rates would rise to pay for the bonds.

Our recommendation: A “yes” vote on the bonds would allow the city to responsibly pay for the work with low-interest bonds. If voters reject the bonds, sewer rates would more than double in two years. That’s too much, too fast, for customers.

MISSOURI CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 2

What it does: Unnecessarily reaffirms the right to prayer in public and private settings; requires schools to post the Bill of Rights; violates the Constitution by allowing sectarian prayer to open government meetings; allows public school students to not participate in instruction if they claim it violates their religious beliefs.

Our recommendation: An emphatic “NO.” Amendment 2 is unnecessary, would lead to costly litigation and cause problems in schools.

KANSAS SENATE PRIMARIES

Why they’re important: Only the coalition of Senate moderate Republicans and Democrats stands in the way of Gov. Sam Brownback’s very conservative social and fiscal agenda. Brownback would love to replace them with conservatives so that he can provide less state funding for schools and control appointments to the court of appeals, among other things.

Our recommendation: Advance the moderate Republicans running for office. Recommendations for specific races are above.