Absentee Voting
Absentee voting in Missouri, also called “mail-in voting” or “by-mail voting”, is casting your vote by mail-in ballot before the day of the Election. All states will mail a ballot to you if specific criteria are met, but some states have much stricter rules to meet these conditions. The voter may return the ballot in person or by mail. With uncertainties and unknowns around USPS delivery of your "mail-in" ballot during Covid-19, you may want to check for ballot drop-off boxes in your area as an alternative way to deliver your absentee ballot.
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: 1. Absence on Election Day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote; 2. 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; 3. Religious belief or practice; 4. 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; 5. Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained. 6. Certified participation in the address confidentiality program established under sections 589.660 to 589.681 because of safety concerns. 7. For an election that occurs during the year 2020, the voter has contracted or is in an at-risk category for contracting or transmitting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19). Voters who are considered at-risk for contracting or transmitting COVID-19 are those who:
- Are 65 years of age or older;
- Live in a long-term care facility licensed under Chapter 198, RSMo.;
- Have chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma;
- Have serious heart conditions;
- Are immunocompromised;
- Have diabetes;
- Have chronic kidney disease and are undergoing dialysis; or
- Have liver disease. Voters can request absentee ballots from their local election authority in person, by mail, by fax or by e-mail.
Early In-person Voting
Early voting in Missouri allows you to cast your vote in person before the day of the Election at specific polling locations that may differ from the Election Day locations. Voting early in person allows you to cast your vote while the number of people waiting to vote is much smaller than Election Day. Please follow the recommended CDC Covid-19 safety guidelines.
Election Day In-person Voting
If you’re voting in person in Missouri on November 3rd, 2020 follow the recommended CDC Covid-19 safety guidelines.