Be a more informed voter in Polk County, MO!
Find Polk County Election Information on Candidates, Absentee Ballots, Voting by Mail, Polling Place Times, Polling Place Locations, and more.
Voter Registration
Registration Deadline: Voters must register in person by the Election Day deadline if registering by mail, your voter registration must be postmarked by the fourth Wednesday prior to the election.
Party Affiliation: Missouri has what is known as an "open" primary. In an open primary, voters may take a ballot for any party and vote for those candidates. Missouri does not require voters to "affiliate" with any political party when they register.
Voter Registration Qualifications
Age: must be 17 ½ years of age to register and 18 years on or before Election Day.
Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen
Residency: Must be a Missouri resident
Mental Competency: Must not be adjudged incapacitated by any court of law.
Felony Convictions: The voter cannot be imprisoned; cannot be on probation or parole after conviction of a felony; and cannot have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor connected to voting
Obtaining a Voter Registration Form
Online: Mississippi voter registration form
In person: Voters may register in person at their County Clerk's office. Voter registration applications are also available at a Department of Motor Vehicles office or any state agency providing service to the public.
By mail/ in writing: Download a form and mail the physical copy to your local county clerk. Or you can request an application be mailed to you. If you choose to request an application by mail, you will receive your blank application form in 3-5 business days.
Verifying Your Voter Registration Status
Online: Missouri voter registration verification
Phone: Contact your County Clerk/Election Official to verify your voter registration
Absentee Ballot Qualifications
Who can vote absentee:
Registered Missourians who expect to be prevented from going to their polling place on Election Day may vote absentee beginning six weeks prior to an election.
Absentee voters must provide one of the following reasons for voting absentee:
- Absence on Election Day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote;
- 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;
- Religious belief or practice;
- 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;
- Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained.
- Certified participation in the address confidentiality program established under sections 589.660 to 589.681 because of safety concerns.
Obtaining an Absentee Ballot
Voters can request absentee ballots from their local election authority in person, by mail, by fax or by e-mail. Relatives within the second degree (spouse, parents and children) may complete an absentee ballot application, in person, on behalf of the voter who wishes to vote absentee.
DO NOT SEND ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE. ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS MUST BE SENT TO THE APPROPRIATE LOCAL ELECTION AUTHORITY BY THE DEADLINE IN ORDER TO BE VALID.
Voters requesting an absentee ballot by mail who have registered by mail and have not voted in person are required to submit a copy of their personal identification unless they provided a copy with their registration application. Examples include:
-Identification issued by the state of Missouri, an agency of the state, or a local election authority of the state;
-Identification issued by the United States government or agency thereof;
-Identification issued by an institution of higher education, including a university, college, vocational and technical school, located within the state of Missouri;
-A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that contains the name and address of the voter; or
-Other identification approved by the secretary of state under rules promulgated pursuant to Missouri law.
Mail in or faxed absentee ballot requests must be received by the election authority no later than the 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to any election.
Military and overseas voting: If you are not registered to vote, you can register and request your absentee ballot at the same time using the Federal Post Card Application(FPCA). On this form you will select how you wish to receive your blank ballot, which may be sent to you by mail, fax, or email. More information for Military and Overseas Voters available.
Submitting an Absentee Ballot
Location and time: Voters can vote by absentee in the office of the local election authority until 5:00 p.m. the night before the election.
VOTER ID
Show one of the forms of acceptable identification and sign the poll book to obtain your ballot:
-Identification issued by the state of Missouri, an agency of the state, or a local election authority of the state;
-Identification issued by the United States government or agency thereof;
-Identification issued by an institution of higher education, including a university, college, vocational and technical school, located within the state of Missouri; or
-A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document that contains the name and address of the voter.
If you do not possess any of these forms of identification, but are a registered voter, you may cast a provisional ballot. Your ballot will count if: (1) you return to your polling place on Election Day with a photo ID; or (2) the signature on your provisional ballot envelope is determined by your local election authority to match the signature on your voter registration record.
If you cast a provisional ballot, you will receive a stub from your provisional ballot envelope with instructions on how to verify that your provisional ballot is counted
VOTING ON ELECTION DAY
Polling places open at 6:00 a.m. and remain open until 7:00 p.m. Those individuals arriving after the polling place has closed will not be allowed to vote. However, those individuals in line at 7:00 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
If you are a registered voter, you can vote. Missouri law provides multiple identification options. For more information, view acceptable IDs.
Additional Information
Verifying Registration: Missouri voter registration verification
Deciding how to vote: https://votesmart.org/
Polling Location: Missouri Polling place finder
Problems with voting: File a grievance with the Missouri Secretary of State Elections Division If you believe that you have witnessed a violation of Missouri Elections Law. For potential violations of Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, fill out the HAVA Complaint Form. For more information click here
Verifying provisional ballot status: If your name does not appear on the poll book and you are eligible to vote at that precinct, you may be entitled to vote a provisional ballot. Every effort will be made to determine your eligibility and your correct polling place so that you can cast a regular ballot. If it can be determined that you are at the wrong polling place, you will be directed to the correct or central polling place to cast a regular ballot.
Exempts childcare establishments from property taxes.
Amends the Missouri Constitution to:
Allow the Missouri Gaming Commission to regulate licensed sports wagering including online sports betting, gambling boats, professional sports betting districts and mobile licenses to sports betting operators.
Restrict sports betting to individuals physically located in the state and over the age of 21
Allow license fees prescribed by the Commission and a 10% wagering tax on revenues received to be appropriated for education after expenses incurred by the Commission and required funding of the Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund.
Allow for the general assembly to enact laws consistent with this amendment.
State governmental entities estimate onetime costs of $660,000, ongoing annual costs of at least $5.2 million, and initial license fee revenue of $11.75 million. Because the proposal allows for deductions against sports gaming revenues, they estimate unknown tax revenue ranging from $0 to $28.9 million annually. Local governments estimate unknown revenue.
Amends the Missouri Constitution to:
Establish a right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion and contraceptives, with any governmental interference of that right presumed invalid;
remove Missouri's ban on abortion.
Allow regulation of reproductive health care to improve or maintain the health of the patient.
Require the government not to discriminate, in government programs, funding, and other activities, against persons providing or obtaining reproductive health care.
Allow abortion to be restricted or banned after Fetal Viability except to protect the life or health of the woman.
State governmental entities estimate no costs or savings, but unknown impact. Local governmental entities estimate costs of at least $51,000 annually in reduced tax revenues. Opponents estimate a potentially significant loss to state revenue.
Under current law, the General Assembly cannot require a city to increase an activity or service beyond that required by existing law, unless a state appropriation is made to pay the city for any increase costs.
This proposed Constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, provides an exception to allow for a law that increases minimum funding, if increased before December 31, 2026, for a police force established by a state board of police commissioners to ensure they have additional resources to serve their communities.
Allows the Missouri Gaming Commission to issue one additional gambling boat license to operate on the portion of the Osage River from the Missouri River to the Bagnell Dam;
require the prescribed location shall include artificial spaces that contain water and are within 500 feet of the 100-year base flood elevation as established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and
require all state revenues derived from the issuance of the gambling boat license shall be appropriated to early-childhood literacy programs in public institutions of elementary education.
State governmental entities estimate one-time costs of $763,000, ongoing costs of $2.2 million annually, initial fee revenue of $271,000, ongoing admission and other fee revenue of $2.1 million annually, and annual gaming tax revenue of $14.3 million. Local governments estimate unknown revenue.
Ballot Title: Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to preserve funding of law enforcement personnel for the administration of justice?
Fair Ballot Language: State and local governmental entities estimate an unknown fiscal impact.
A yes vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to levy costs and fees to support salaries and benefits for current and former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys, and circuit attorneys to ensure all Missourians have access to the courts of justice.
A no vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution to levy costs and fees related to current or former sheriffs, prosecuting attorneys and circuit attorneys.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
The amendment provides that only citizens of the United States over the age of 18 who are residents of Missouri and of the political subdivision in which they offer to vote are entitled to vote at all elections.
This amendment specifies that all elections shall be by paper ballot or by any mechanical method prescribed by law. Furthermore, voters shall only be entitled to one vote for each issue on the ballot and the same amount of votes for each office as there are seats to be filled at the election. Under no circumstance shall a voter be permitted to cast a ballot in a manner that results in the ranking of candidates for a particular office. This provision does not apply to any nonpartisan municipal election held in a city that had a ordinance in effect as of November 5, 2024, that permits voters to cast more than a single vote for each issue or candidate on which such voter is eligible to vote.
The candidate that receives the greatest number of votes in a political party primary shall be the only candidate for that political party at the general election. The name of such candidate shall be placed on the official ballot at the general election, unless removed or replaced as provided by law. The person receiving the greatest number of votes at the general election shall be declared the winner. This provision does not apply to any nonpartisan municipal election held in a city that had a ordinance in effect as of November 5, 2024, that requires a preliminary election at which more than one candidate advances to a subsequent election.
Official Ballot Title:
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to:
Make the Constitution consistent with state law by only allowing citizens of the United States to vote;
Prohibit the ranking of candidates by limiting voters to a single vote per candidate or issue; and
Require the plurality winner of a political party primary to be the single candidate at a general election?
State and local governmental entities estimate no costs or savings.
Fair Ballot Language:
A yes vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to specify that only United States citizens are entitled to vote, voters shall only have a single vote for each candidate or issue, restrict any type of ranking of candidates for a particular office and require the person receiving the greatest number of votes at the primary election as a party candidate for an office shall be the only candidate for that party at the general election, and require the person receiving the greatest number of votes for each office at the general election shall be declared the winner. This provision does not apply to any nonpartisan municipal election held in a city that had an ordinance in effect as of November 5, 2024, that requires a preliminary election at which more than one candidate advances to a subsequent election.
A no vote will not amend the Missouri Constitution to make any changes to how voters vote in primary and general elections.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.
Official Ballot Title:
Do you want to amend Missouri law to:
increase minimum wage January 1, 2025 to $13.75 per hour, increasing $1.25 per hour each year until 2026, when the minimum wage would be $15.00 per hour;
adjust minimum wage based on changes in the Consumer Price Index each January beginning in 2027;
require all employers to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty hours worked;
allow the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to provide oversight and enforcement; and
exempt governmental entities, political subdivisions, school districts and education institutions?
State governmental entities estimate one-time costs ranging from $0 to $53,000, and ongoing costs ranging from $0 to at least $256,000 per year by 2027. State and local government tax revenue could change by an unknown annual amount depending on business decisions.
Fair Ballot Language:
A yes vote will amend Missouri statutes to increase the state minimum wage beginning January 1, 2025 to $13.75 per hour and increase the hourly rate $1.25, to $15.00 per hour beginning January 2026. Annually the minimum wage will be adjusted based on the Consumer Price Index. The law will require employers with fifteen or more employees to provide one hour of paid sick leave for every thirty hours worked. The amendment will exempt governmental entities, political subdivisions, school districts and education institutions from the minimum wage increase.
A no vote will not amend Missouri law to make changes to the state minimum wage law.
If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.