All Missouri voters can vote in-person absentee without an excuse this election. Here’s how

Kynala Phillips
Bigstock

For the final two weeks leading up to Election Day on Nov. 8, any Missouri voter will be able to vote absentee — either in person or by mail — without needing a reason to qualify. This change was part of Missouri’s new voting law.

Previously, absentee voters in Missouri needed to qualify to vote absentee, for reasons such as being absent on Election Day or being confined due to an illness or disability. There was a six-week window before Election Day to cast an absentee ballot.

Now with the new law, those who do qualify with a valid reason will still have that same six-week window to cast their absentee ballots, and then in the last two weeks, any voter will be able to vote absentee in person without an excuse.

In-person absentee voting opens for all Missouri voters on Oct. 25.

WHAT DO I NEED TO VOTE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE STARTING OCT. 25?

In order to vote in-person absentee before Election Day, all you need to do is be registered to vote by Oct. 12 and have a valid voter ID. Registered voters can update their address after Oct. 12, but if you are not already on the voter rolls, you will not be eligible to vote for this election.

WHAT KIND OF PHOTO ID CAN YOU USE TO VOTE IN NOV. 8 ELECTION?

Missouri voters will now need a government-issued photo ID in order to vote in Missouri. This includes:

  • A non-expired Missouri driver’s license or a state ID

  • A non-expired military ID, including a veteran ID card

  • A U.S. passport or another form of photo ID issued by the U.S. government or the state of Missouri that is not expired

DO I NEED TO REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT TO VOTE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE?

No. All voters need to do is show up at their local election authority’s office (or a location designated by their election office) and vote.

WHERE CAN I GO TO VOTE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE?

In-person absentee voting will take place at each local election authority’s office. In the Kansas City Area, those locations include:

Kansas City Election Board

Union Station

30 W Pershing Road, Suite 610, Kansas City

Jackson County Board of Elections

110 N Liberty St., Independence

Platte County Election Board

2600 NW Prairie View Road, Platte City

Clay Board of Election Commissioners

100 W. Mississippi St., Liberty or 1901 NE 48th St., Kansas City

To find your local election office in your county, you can visit here.

CAN I VOTE BY MAIL IN MISSOURI?

Yes, but only if you qualify for a regular absentee ballot. The two-week, no-excuse absentee voting period is only for in-person absentee voting, not mail-in ballots.

Qualifying absentee voters can request a mail-in ballot until Oct. 26. You need one of the following qualifying reasons::

  • Being absent on election day

  • Being confined due to an illness or disability

  • Religious beliefs or practice

  • Incarceration

If you qualify, you can request a mail-in ballot from your local election board. You can find contact information for your election board here. If you live in Kansas City within Jackson County, select the “Kansas City within Jackson County” option from the drop down menu. Otherwise, select the county that you live in.

Election boards need to receive your mail-in ballot by the time the polls close on Election Day, Nov. 8. If you are mailing a ballot in, please consider how long it will take for the ballot to arrive at the election office, as the ballot needs to arrive by 7 p.m. on that day.

You can also return your mail-in ballot at one of the in-person absentee voting sites up until 5 p.m. on Nov. 7.

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