ST. LOUIS • Republican White House hopeful Rick Santorum is confident enough of his chances in today's statewide vote that he is scheduled to appear at a "victory celebration" tonight in St. Charles.

Whether winning an unofficially meaningless vote qualifies for a victory or is cause for celebration is up for debate, but there is no doubt that the former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania has invested more than any of his primary rivals in coming out on top in Missouri.

Officials are expecting a low turnout, about 23 percent, though one that is not dramatically different from past primaries when the vote actually counted.

Santorum was in St. Charles County just eight days ago, kicking-off a string of appearances that took him around the state last week.

Facing limited avenues to make inroads against frontrunner Mitt Romney, Santorum is hoping for a moral boost from Missouri, where, because of a mix of legislative inaction and party decree, the results will not count towards the awarding of convention delegates.

Of course, even though the formal stakes are low, Santorum could suffer a momentum burst if Romney comes out ahead despite not campaigning at all in Missouri, or if he finished behind one of the candidates who has already dropped out of the race.

This is not Santorum's first time stumping in Missouri around primary season. Almost exactly four years ago, he appeared at a campaign rally and Super Bowl party in support of another Republican candidate — Romney.

Although the contenders on the field were identical this year — the former Massachusetts governor saw his Patriots once again lose to the New York Giants, as they did in 2008 — Santorum's mission in 2012 is to defeat Romney, not support him.

The Santorum event at the St. Charles Convention Center is scheduled to begin around 9 p.m., two hours after the polls close at 7 p.m.