Missouri

Upcoming Election Dates & Registration Deadlines

Some elections in this list are local and do not apply for all Missouri voters. Please click the “View all” button below to view all election dates in your state.

Next Election: Municipal
Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Kansas City General Municipal Election

Registration Deadlines

Wednesday, May 24, 2023
By Mail (postmarked)
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
In Person
Wednesday, May 24, 2023

08

Aug
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Municipal
Date available for public elections

07

Nov
Tuesday, November 7, 2023
General
Available for public elections

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Missouri Voting Information

Absentee Ballot Process

Absentee voting begins six weeks before an election for registered voters. You may vote by absentee ballot if you fulfill one of the following criteria: 

  • Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability.
  • Expect to be absent on Election Day
  • Election workers, first responders, healthcare workers and members of law enforcement
  • Prevented by religious beliefs from going to the polls on election day
  • Incarcerated but haven't lost right to vote
  • Active-duty military personnel and close family members living with them.
  • Missouri citizens living outside the U.S 

You can request absentee ballots from your local election authority in person or by mail or fax. Mailed in or faxed absentee ballot requests should be submitted to the appropriate local election authority. Relatives within the second degree (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. They must be sent to the local election authority to be valid. 

Mail-in or faxed absentee ballot requests must be received by the election authority no later than the 5:00 pm on the second Wednesday before any election. If you have registered to vote by mail and are voting absentee the first time you vote, you are required to provide a copy of your ID with your absentee ballot request unless you provided a copy with your voter registration application. Examples of acceptable ID are: 

  • Valid Missouri driver's license 

  • Valid Missouri non-driver's license 

  • Valid U.S. passport 

  • Valid military ID 

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. 

Voted absentee ballots must be received at the election authority’s office by 7:00 PM on Election Day. May be returned by mailing service, in person or close relative, curbside service available at all voting authorities.

For more information, or to request an absentee ballot, click here.

Those who requested an absentee ballot but end up voting in person, should contact their local election authority for further instructions.

Overseas citizens and U.S. military personnel can register to vote and request an absentee ballot at the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Request your Ballot
Campaign Finance Information

For information on federal campaign contributions, please visit Open Secrets.

For information on state campaign contributions, please visit your state's resource.

Candidate and Ballot Measure Information

St. Louis City voters only - beginning in the Spring 2021 municipal election voters will use a new voting system called Approval Voting. All candidates will be listed on a single, non-partisan ballot and voters have the ability to vote for all candidates you support for each office. If you support two candidates for one office, vote for both! After the primary, the top two candidates for each office will move forward to a run-off in the later General election. This new system is only for voters in St. Louis City.

Information on local, state and federal candidates and ballot measures may be available here.

To see a list of available races, visit the race index.

Drop Boxes

No drop boxes are available. You can hand-deliver your absentee ballot to your local election authority. You can look up the address of your local election authority here. 

Mail-in ballots may be received by the local voting authority’s office by 7:00 pm on Election Day. Mail-in ballots may be returned by mailing service, in person, or a close relative. Curbside service is available.

Suppose the voter requested an absentee ballot but never received or lost it. In that case, they may file a lost ballot claim at their polling location, a central polling location, or the voting authority’s office and vote a regular ballot.

If the voter has their ballot and hasn’t returned it and wishes to vote a regular ballot, they may go to their regular polling location, a central polling location, or the voting authority’s office and spoil the absentee ballot and vote a regular ballot.

Early Voting

During the two weeks before an election, you may vote a no-excuse absentee ballot in person at a location designated by your local election authority. When voting an absentee ballot in person, you must show an acceptable form of photo ID.

Please check out Absentee Voting to see how to vote before Election Day.

Election Dates

The next election date can be found here https://www.vote411.org/missouri.

Contact your local Board of Elections for more information.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to vote you must be:

  • 17.5 years old and 18 years old by Election Day
  • A U.S. citizen
  • A Missouri resident and must be registered to vote in the jurisdiction of the person's domicile prior to the election registration deadline.
  • Not confined under a sentence of imprisonment
  • Not on probation or parole after the conviction of a felony
  • Not convicted of a felony or misdemeanor connected with voting or the right of suffrage

If a voter moves within a voting jurisdiction or county they may go to the polling location for their current address, a central polling location, or the voting jurisdiction’s office, change their address, and vote. Since they are updating their registration, they will only need the ID required for registration—their voter card, recent utility bill, recent paycheck, a photo ID from a college, or another photo ID that may be expired.

If a voter moves into a new voter jurisdiction, they must update their address and vote at the voting jurisdiction’s office.

Incarcerated Voters & Returning Citizens: 

In Missouri, you lose your voting rights while you are incarcerated for a misdemeanor conviction or until you complete your felony sentence (including incarceration, probation, and parole). Individuals who have been convicted of an election offense, whether a felony or misdemeanor, are not allowed to vote unless pardoned by the Governor. Pretrial detention and misdemeanors that didn’t involve voting do not restrict your voting rights. 

Voters without traditional residence: 

It is not mandatory for citizens to possess a "permanent home" for voter registration. A citizen can provide an alternative description of their residence, even if they are experiencing homelessness, as long as it enables the authorities to identify and assign a voting precinct to them. This precinct assignment ensures that the voter receives the appropriate ballot. The mailing address on their registration form can be a PO box, local shelter, advocacy organization, outreach center, or the home of someone who will accept mail for them. 

 

ID Needed for Voter Registration

When registering in person, you are required to present a form of personal ID.

Accepted forms or ID are:

  • ID issued by the Federal Government, state of Missouri or a local election authority (For example: Missouri driver's license, US Passport, etc.)
  • ID issued by a Missouri institution (public or private) of higher education, including a university, college, vocational and technical schools
  • A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or other government document that contains your name and address
  • Driver's license or state ID card issued by another state

If you do not have any of these accepted forms of ID, you may still cast a ballot if two supervising election judges, one from each major political party, attest they know you.

ID Needed for Voting

All Missouri voters must show acceptable identification and sign the poll book to obtain their ballot. Acceptable forms of ID include:

  • A nonexpired Missouri driver or non-driver license;

  •  A nonexpired [or unexpiring] 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 have an acceptable photo ID, you may be eligible for a free MO nondriver license for voting purposes. The Missouri Department of Revenue may provide 1 free nondriver license to all Missourians. For more information call 573-526-VOTE or visit https://dor.mo.gov/. You can also request help from the Secretary of State through this form.

If you do not possess any of these forms of identification, but are a registered voter, you may cast a provisional ballot. 

Your provisional 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 a bipartisan team at your local election authority to match the signature on in 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. Samples of Acceptable Forms of ID

Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline

Official Results

Official results are never available on Election Day. Election officials are working around the clock to count an unprecedented number of ballots, and it’s essential that they take the time to make sure every vote is counted.

Absentee ballots begin being counted on Election Day. Provisional ballots are counted 2 weeks after the election.

Official election results will be uploaded on Missouri’s Secretary of State website as they become available. 

Official Results
Overseas and Military Voters

You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.

If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Poll Worker Information

You can make sure we have safe, fair, and efficient elections for all. Become a poll worker today!

In order to be a poll worker in Missouri, you must:

  • Be registered to vote in Missouri
  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Political affiliation preferred
  • Be a resident of the jurisdiction
  • Complete required training
  • Be entitled to compensation
  • Students 15-17 years old must have full time attendance in a Missouri school

To sign up fill out his form or check with your local county board .

Polling Place Hours

The polls will be open from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Polling Place Locator

You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource.

If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your county clerk.

Primary Election Process

Missouri is an “open primary” state. You can choose the party’s ballot you wish to vote. This decision does not register you with that party and it is a private decision.

If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.

Provisional Voting

If you don’t bring a government-issued photo ID to your polling place on Election Day, you can request a blue provisional ballot. Your vote won’t count unless you come back to your polling place that day with an acceptable ID or if your signature matches the one on your voter registration record.

If your name does not appear on the poll book and you are eligible to vote at that precinct, you may also receive a provisional ballot. Every effort will be made to determine your eligibility and your correct polling place so you can cast a regular ballot.

Provisional Ballots are counted two weeks after the election. For more information, go to LWVMO.org.

Provisions for Voters with Disabilities

If you believe you need assistance to vote you are entitled to receive assistance from the person of your choice or a bipartisan team of judges. You do not need to explain why. If you feel you need curbside voting in order to freely and fairly cast your ballot, you may request curbside service. You just need to ask someone at your polling location to have a poll worker bring your ballot out to you.

If you have a physical disability and your polling location is not accessible, you may request a different polling place assignment. Please contact your local election authority for more information.

Assistance can include, but is not limited to:

• Interpretation/translation

• Reading

• Casting their vote

• Accessing the polling place due to disability

• Assistant does not need to be 18, a registered voter or US citizen. An assistant can only assist ONE voter.

For more information, you can utilize the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD) resource.

 

Registration Deadline

You may update your name and address, register to vote for the first time, or complete a voter registration application online! In order to be registered to vote in an election, you need to be registered by the fourth Wednesday before the election (27 days). If you register after that time, you are registered to vote in the next elections.

Not registered? Use our registration tool to fill out your application!

Time Off To Vote

Employers must grant employees up to three hours paid leave to vote, unless polls are open three consecutive hours before or after regular working shift. Employees must request this time prior to Election Day, and the employer may specify when during the working day employees may take time off.

Verify Voter Registration

To verify your voter registration status

click here!
Voting Machines

A new election law (HB1878) requires that local election authorities be able to count and audit paper ballots. Local election authorities will not be able to use direct-recording electronic vote-counting machines after Jan. 1, 2024.

The voting systems used in Missouri are optical scan and punch card.

Optical Scan: With this system, you will receive a card or sheet of paper, which you take over to a private table or booth. The card has the names of the various candidates and ballot measures printed on it. With a pen or pencil you fill in a little box or circle or the space between two arrows. When you are finished filling out all the cards, you may bring the cards over to a ballot box, where poll workers will show you how to put the cards in the box. Or in some places, you may feed the completed cards or papers into a computer device that checks your card or paper right there at the polling place to make sure you have voted the way you want to and counts the votes.

Punchcards: With a punchcard system, when you sign in at the polling place, the poll workers will give you one or more cards. These cards are usually about 8 inches by 3 inches, with small rectangles that can be punched out. You take your cards to a small private table. You'll see a booklet mounted on a frame. The frame will have a place for you to slide your first card in. Make sure that it's in all the way and lined up correctly. If you're not sure, ask one of the poll workers to make sure you've got it right. The table also has a little device (often a metal stylus or stick) that you use to punch holes next to the name of the person or ballot measure you want to vote for. Give it a firm punch, so it pushes out that little cardboard rectangle or chad. You may have to look at the booklet carefully so that you punch the right hole lined up with the person you want to vote for. Often there is a little arrow that helps you find the right hole. Some punchcards have the names of the candidates written right on the cards. You may need to vote on more than one card. Look it over carefully, so you put the right card in the right slot. Some punch card systems use both sides of the card, so look on the back of each card too. Check to see that all the holes are punched all the way through and there are no little pieces of cardboard (chad) hanging from your card. When you are done, pick up all your cards. There may be an envelope to put your cards in. Take your cards over to the ballot box and put the cards into the box.

You can learn more about voting systems by checking out the Elections Assistance Commission's (EAC) resource.

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Missouri Department of State

Secretary of State

PO Box 1767

Jefferson 65102-1767


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