JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri voters narrowly approved Amendment 8 on Tuesday, according to unofficial totals. The measure puts existing requirements for elected county sheriffs into the Missouri Constitution and changes who can start a court proceeding to remove one.

The statewide count published by the St. Charles County Election Authority shows 1,053,346 votes in favor and 1,012,534 against, a margin of 40,812 votes. St. Charles County voted 86,038 to 75,210 in favor.

The amendment places the four-year term and sheriff duties now specified in statute into the constitution. For an elected sheriff, removal would require a court proceeding called quo warranto, initiated by Missouri’s attorney general. The attorney general would start the case, and a court would decide it.

The result remains unofficial. St. Charles County said it expects to certify its results by November 17 after reviewing provisional ballots and completing its hand-count audit.