Here’s how to apply for an absentee ballot for the Aug. 2 primary election in MO and KS

Natalie Wallington

The August 2 primary elections in Missouri and Kansas are less than a month away, but some voters won’t be able to make it to the polls. If that sounds like you, it’s not too late to request an absentee ballot for the election.

Here are the steps to take in both states to ensure your vote is counted in August’s primary.

How do I vote absentee in Missouri?

In person: In Missouri, absentee voting opens in person six weeks before a scheduled election. You can vote absentee in person at your county’s local election office until 5 p.m. the night before an election. You do not have to apply for a mailed absentee ballot or have it notarized in order to vote absentee in person. However, you must bring a photo ID and qualify for absentee voting using one of the excuses below.

Deadline to request a mail-in ballot: July 20 at 5 p.m.

How to apply: Missouri voters should apply for a mailed absentee ballot using this form. The application must be mailed, faxed or emailed to your local election authority, which you can find by selecting your county’s name on the Missouri Secretary of State’s website.

Excuses: You need an excuse to vote absentee in Missouri. The acceptable excuses are:

  • Not physically being in your district on Election Day

  • Being, or caring for, a person who is sick or disabled

  • Religious reasons

  • Working on Election Day at a polling place other than your own

  • Being incarcerated, if you still meet all other requirements to vote

  • Being a part of Missouri’s address confidentiality program

COVID-19 is no longer being accepted as an excuse for mail-in voting in Missouri.

How to vote: Carefully follow all of the instructions on your mailed absentee ballot and mark the choices you wish to vote for. Do this in secret, where no one else can see. Then place your ballot inside the provided envelope but DO NOT seal it or write on the outside of it.

How to notarize your mail-in ballot: Make an appointment with a notary in your area and bring along your government ID and completed ballot in its unsealed envelope. If someone helped you fill out your ballot, bring them along to the appointment, too.

Tip: The Kansas City Public Library offers free notary services at branches around Kansas City.

At your appointment, seal the ballot envelope in front of the notary, fill out your contact information on the outside of the envelope and sign it with the notary watching. If someone helped you fill out your ballot, they should follow the ballot’s instructions to sign the envelope too. Once the notary has witnessed you seal and sign it of your own free will, they can then notarize your ballot.

Other things to keep in mind about the notarization process:

  • You do not need to get your mail-in ballot notarized if you are voting absentee due to an illness or disability, are a caregiver of an ill or disabled person, are voting from overseas or are an active duty military member or their family.

  • Notaries in the state of Missouri are NOT permitted to charge a fee for notarizing a ballot, even if they charge fees for other notary services.

How to return your mail-in ballot: Mail your completed absentee ballot to your local election authority. You can find that address by selecting your county here. The ballot must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted, so get it in the mail as early as possible.

How do I vote absentee in Kansas?

In person: Kansas offers early voting up to 20 days before an election, and no excuse is needed to vote early. You can find more information about your county’s early voting sites and dates on its election office website.

Deadline to request a ballot: July 26

How to apply: Apply for a mail-in ballot using this form and send it to your county voting office, listed on page two. You must apply again for a ballot in every election you wish to vote in absentee.

The one exception to this rule is if you have a permanent illness or disability. In that case, you may be eligible for the state’s Permanent Advance Voting program, which you can apply for here. This program will automatically mail you a ballot for every election.

Excuses: No excuse is needed to vote by mail in Kansas.

How to vote: Carefully follow all the instructions included with your mailed ballot. After completing it, you will need to fill out your personal information and sign the first statement on the outside of your return envelope. You’ll also need to complete the other statements if someone has helped you fill out your ballot.

Be sure your envelope is signed and sealed with your ballot inside before you return it. Even if you hand in your ballot in person, it must be sealed inside the provided envelope in order to be counted. If you don’t follow these instructions, your vote may not be counted.

How to return your ballot: Kansas voters do not need to get their mail-in ballot notarized. You can return your mailed ballot in the following three ways:

To a polling place or drop box: Some elections allow mailed ballots to be submitted in person to an early voting location, an Election Day polling place or a secure ballot drop box in your county. Consult your county’s election office website for specifics.

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