Your Voting Options
Voting Before Election Day (Absentee Voting):
Absentee voters must provide one of the following reasons for voting absentee:
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Absence on Election Day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote;
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Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability, including a person who is primarily responsible for the physical care of a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or disability;
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Religious belief or practice;
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Employment as an election authority, as a member of an election authority, or by an election authority at a location other than such voter's polling place;
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Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained.
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Certified participation in the address confidentiality program established under sections 589.660 to 589.681 because of safety concerns.
Absentee In Person
You can vote absentee in person at the office of your local county election authority for about six weeks prior to Election Day. Larger election jurisdictions may also open additional satellite absentee voting locations for high-turnout elections.
You do not have to apply beforehand or get anything notarized if you vote absentee in person; you will simply need to show an ID, give one of the reasons for voting absentee when you check in, and then you will cast a ballot just like you normally would at a polling place.
Absentee By Mail
Missouri residents also have the option to vote Absentee by Mail if they have one of the reasons for voting absentee.
Permanent Absentee Status
Some voters who are permanently disabled may apply directly to their county election authority to be placed on permanent absentee status. This means that the voter will automatically receive an absentee ballot application for each election. Each election authority has its own application for permanent absentee status; you can find your local election authority by clicking here.
All Other Absentee By Mail
All other voters must proactively obtain an application and apply for an absentee by mail ballot. Voters can apply online at MOVOTE.ORG or using a form obtained from their local election authority. You can find your local election authority by clicking here.
Absentee applications may be submitted by email, fax, in person, or by mail. Close relatives may request an absentee ballot on a voter’s behalf.
When thinking about which excuse best fits your situation, remember that absentee by mail ballots will need a notarized signature on the ballot envelope unless the voter requested the ballot using a health related excuse (excuse #2). You determine whether or not you are eligible for any excuse. You do not need permission from a doctor or any other authority, nor are you required to show proof.
Completing and Returning Your Absentee by Mail Ballot
Absentee ballots can be returned to the election authority office by mail or in person. A close relative may also return the ballot on behalf of the voter.
Before returning your ballot, please be sure that you have completed the statement on the outside of your ballot envelope, verified your address where indicated, and signed the envelope on the signature line, in the presence of a notary public if required.
Do not cover up or mark out your return address or any of the bar codes on the ballot envelope. These are needed to verify your ballot envelope and match it with your voter file.
Your ballot can be rejected if the required information on the ballot envelope is not completed correctly or the ballot cannot be otherwise verified.
An Absentee by Mail Ballot can be returned by mail or in person (including by a close family member) to the election authority office.
Completed absentee ballots may not be dropped off at a polling place on Election Day, but a voter can surrender an absentee ballot at a polling place to be "spoiled" and vote a new ballot.
ALL BALLOTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY YOUR LOCAL ELECTION AUTHORITY BY 7pm ON ELECTION DAY IN ORDER TO COUNT! NO EXCEPTIONS!
Voting On Election Day:
Voting at Your Polling Place
On Election Day, you can vote in person at your polling place. Unless you are told otherwise,* you must vote at your designated polling place! If you don't know where your polling place is, call 866-OUR-VOTE to ask for help, or use an online lookup system.
*Thanks to new print-on-demand ballot systems, voters in St. Louis County may vote at any County polling location.
