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.
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