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ST. LOUIS — Area voters should see a return to normal when they head to the polls April 6, officials say, after the coronavirus-disrupted municipal elections of 2020.

Besides the big-ticket mayoral race in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, there are more than 500 races and issues on the ballot in local Missouri counties, including a five-way race for mayor in the metro area’s second-largest city, O’Fallon, Missouri, and a slew of propositions from the Metropolitan ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Sewer District.

Last March, amid a worsening pandemic, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson postponed elections scheduled for April 7, 2020, across the state until June 2. The state then saw record levels of absentee voting after the Legislature expanded voting options for people at risk of contracting COVID-19. The expansion expired in December.

Officials in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ and St. Charles counties say this year they expect to see voter turnout return to the lighter levels typical of an April election in a nonpresidential year — around 10-20%.

Absentee voting already has returned to pre-pandemic levels, said Eric Fey, the Democratic director of elections in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County. Just over 8,250 people in the county had voted absentee in the April election as of Friday, compared with a record 45,564 in the June 2020 election.

St. Charles County also has seen lower numbers, said elections director Kurt Bahr, though he noted that the delayed election last year allowed more time for absentee ballots to be cast.

Mayors

The mayoral race in O’Fallon, in which four challengers seek to unseat incumbent Bill Hennessy, is taking place against a backdrop of controversy over the recent hiring of a new police chief and other issues. Hennessy’s opponents include Councilman Debbie Cook, former Councilman Mike Pheney, Paul Carlson, and Arnie “AC� Dienoff.

While many incumbent mayors around the area are running unopposed, a few others face challengers, including Bob Nation in Chesterfield, who is opposed by Councilman Ben Keathley and Mike Casey.

In Creve Coeur, council members Robert Hoffman and Ellen Lawrence are seeking to succeed Mayor Barry Glantz. Northwoods also has an open mayoral seat, which has attracted former state Rep. Sharon Pace, Shirley Johnson and Marvalda Jones.

Ballot issues

The Metropolitan Sewer District has six propositions on the ballot for voters in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ city and county. Proposition Y would authorize $500 million in bonds to make federally required upgrades to the wastewater system. The other propositions would make various changes to the district’s charter.

The Ladue School District also has a big bond issue on the ballot, as district officials seek to borrow $126 million to improve four elementary schools and the middle school. The Hancock Place, Kirkwood, Mehlville, and Normandy school districts also are proposing bond issues.

The Robertson Fire Protection District’s Proposition R aims to resolve a long-running dispute with the city of Hazelwood over the cost of fire coverage in a portion of Hazelwood that overlaps the fire district. The proposition would shift the burden of paying for Robertson’s fire service from Hazelwood — which is currently obligated to pay the residents’ portion of taxes out of the city’s general revenue — to the property owners themselves.

Elsewhere, Bridgeton, Lake Saint Louis, Rock Hill, Sunset Hills, Warson Woods and Webster Groves are following the example of other municipalities in recent years by asking voters to approve new use taxes on goods purchased from out-of-state vendors.

For a complete list of all races, candidates, and propositions, check out our Missouri .