Missouri absentee voting begins for 2022 midterm election

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 2022 general election is six weeks away, which means Missouri has opened absentee voting.

If you already know you won’t be able to make it to the polls in November, Missouri allows absentee voting starting Tuesday, in person or by mail.

The state says residents can vote absentee if they:

  • Will be absent from your voting jurisdiction on Election Day.
  • Are incapacitated or confined due to illness or physical disability, or caring for an incapacitated person.
  • Are restricted by religious belief or practice.
  • Are employed by an election authority.
  • Are incarcerated, but have retained all your voting qualification.
  • Are a participant in the Missouri SAFE at home program.

But even if you don’t meet one of those excuses, there’s still a way you can vote early in Missouri now.

No-excuse absentee voting

New this year, after Missouri lawmakers passed House Bill 1878, voters now have two weeks of no-excuse in person absentee voting.

That means Missourians can vote in person with their local election office for two weeks before every election — no excuse needed.

Voters will still need to provide acceptable ID.

In-person absentee voting

If you want to vote absentee earlier than two weeks before the Nov. 8 election, you’ll need to meet one of the excuses above.

You don’t need to submit an application to vote absentee in person, but you do need to bring acceptable ID needed to vote.

Most in-person absentee voting is done at your local election board or county clerk’s office and must be completed by 5 p.m. the night before the election.

Absentee voting by mail

Those who want to vote absentee by mail can request the application for a ballot by calling or writing to their local election board. Many election boards also have a copy of the application on their website to download. Ballots should be mailed within a few days.

If you’ve already submitted your application for an absentee ballot by mail, those will start going out Tuesday.

Don’t delay in getting your ballot request sent in. They must be received no later than the 5 p.m. on the second Wednesday prior to the election; this year that’s Oct. 26.

It’s important to note if you vote absentee by mail, Missouri requires that all ballots must be notarized (except those submitted by an incapacitated or confined voter), signed and received by the election board by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots received after that won’t be counted.

Find more information on absentee voting in your county at the following websites:

Register to vote or check your registration status on the Missouri secretary of state’s website. The deadline to register in Missouri before the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 12.