Missouri/Voting
Registering to Vote:
In order to register to vote, Missourians must submit a completed voter registration application to their local election authority. This can be done in person or by mail.
A voter may register in person at one of the following locations:
- The office of their local election authority
- At a drivers licensing office while applying for or renewing a driver's license
- At a designated state agency while the applicant is obtaining services from the agency. Examples of state agencies providing registration applications to their clients include Division of Family Services, Military Recruitment, or WIC.
- A library
When registering in person, applicants are required to present a form of personal identification. A voter can also register to vote by mail by completing a post card voter registration application. You can request a voter registration application from the local election authority or from our website.
Within 7 days of receiving your registration, the election authority should mail verification that your registration has been received and processed. If you do not receive this verification, you should contact your local election authority to ensure that you are indeed registered to vote. You will receive your identification card after voting for the first time.
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ID Requirements
Show one of the forms of acceptable identification and sign the poll book to obtain your ballot:
- A nonexpired Missouri driver or non-driver license;
- A nonexpired military ID, including a veteran’s ID card;
- A nonexpired United States passport; or
- Another photo ID issued by the United States or the state of Missouri which is either not expired or expired after the date of the most recent general election.
*If the driver or non-driver license has expired after the most recent general election, it is an acceptable form of voter ID.
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.
ABSENTEE VOTING
Prior to the second Tuesday before an election, or at any time when requesting an absentee ballot to return by mail, 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 on election day, including a person who is primarily responsible for the physical care of a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or disability and resides at the same address;
- Religious belief or practice;
- Employment as an election authority or by an election authority at a location other than such voter’s polling place, a first responder, a health care worker, or a member of law enforcement;
- 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.
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. Contact information for local election authorities and an absentee ballot application form may be found at the links below.
- Local Election Authority Contact Information
- Request for Missouri Absentee Ballot
Mail in or faxed absentee ballot requests must be received by the election authority no later than the 5:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday prior to any election. Voters can vote by absentee in the office of the local election authority until 5:00 p.m. the night before the election.
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 of acceptable identification are:
- A nonexpired Missouri driver or non-driver license;
- A nonexpired military ID, including a veteran’s ID card;
- A nonexpired United States passport; or
- Another photo ID issued by the United States or the state of Missouri which is either not expired or expired after the date of the most recent general election.
This identification requirement, as well as the notary requirement for absentee ballots, does not apply to overseas voters, those on active military duty or members of their immediate family living with them or voters who are permanently disabled and their caregivers.
Additional information for military and overseas voters may be found at the section entitled Military and Overseas Voters.
When voting an absentee ballot in person, you must show an acceptable form of photo ID. In person absentee voters are not eligible for a provisional ballot.
From the second Tuesday before an election to the day before the election, you may vote a no-excuse absentee ballot in person at a location designated by your local election authority.
No Excuse with ID
During the two weeks prior to the election, you may vote a no-excuse absentee ballot in person at a location designated by your local election authority.
Curbside Voting
If you have limited mobility you may be able to vote "curbside" or outside the polling place. You should go to your polling place and ask someone to go in and ask poll workers to bring a ballot out to you. The poll workers should bring you a ballot within a reasonable period of time.
Accessible Voting Systems
Every polling place must have an accessible voting system for individuals with disabilities including audiovisual accessibility. Accessible systems include an audio ballot to make selections or the ability to enlarge text so that you can read the on-screen ballot with ease.
Permanent Absentee Voting
If you have a permanent physical disability you may request to be placed on a designated list so that your local election authority can automatically mail an absentee ballot application directly to you prior to each election. You will need to make this request directly your local election authority who will send you further information.
Personal Assistance
If you cannot read or write, are blind or have another physical disability and cannot vote your ballot, you may choose to bring in a person to help you vote. Your assistant does not have to be over the age of 18 or have to be a registered voter. Additionally, a bipartisan team of poll workers can assist you upon request.