Election administration in Missouri

Election Information
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies and methods of enforcing them. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.

THE BASICS

Missouri permits online voter registration.

Missouri permits early voting or no-excuse absentee voting.

In Missouri, polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Missouri requires identification to vote.

Missouri holds open primary elections.

Missouri has an online tool for verifying voter registration.

Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Missouri:

• Poll times
• Voter registration
• Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy
• Voter identification requirements
• Provisional ballot rules
• Primary election type
• Time off work for voting
• Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

• Voter list maintenance
• Post-election auditing
• Election policy ballot measures
• Election policy legislation
• Ballot access
• Redistricting
• Election administration agencies

Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Missouri, all polling places are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Voter registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Missouri, one must be 18 years old, a United States citizen, and Missouri resident. An applicant may print an application, pick one up from a county clerk's office, or request that an application be mailed. The completed application must be returned by mail. All returned applications must be postmarked at least 27 days prior to Election Day in order to be processed. An applicant may also register to vote online.

Automatic registration

Missouri does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Missouri has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Missouri does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Missouri, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible. Voters may file change-of-address forms after the registration deadline, up to and including Election Day, provided that they can present photo identification upon doing so.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Missouri requires those registering to vote by mail for the first time to provide a form of identification that shows proof of United States citizenship.

Verifying your registration

The Missouri Secretary of State's office allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Early and absentee voting policy

Early voting

See also: Early voting

Missouri permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Absentee voting

See also: Absentee voting

A voter is eligible to vote absentee in an election if he or she cannot make it to the polls on Election Day for one of the following reasons:

• The voter will be absent from his or her regular polling place on Election Day.
• The voter is incapacitated or confined due to illness or physical disability. Additionally, an individual who is caring for an incapacitated person may vote absentee.
• The voter is unable to visit the polls for religious reasons.
• The voter is employed by an election authority.
• The voter incarcerated but has retained voting qualifications.
• The voter is unable to visit the polls because of safety concerns.

To vote absentee, an application must be received by 5 p.m. on the Wednesday prior to the election. If returned in person, the ballot must be submitted by 5 p.m. the day before the election. If submitted by mail, the ballot must be received by the close of polls on Election Day.

Returning absentee ballots

See also: Mail ballot collection and return laws by state

In Missouri, a voter or a voter's relative within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity can return their absentee ballot by mail or in person. Absentee ballots must be received by the voter’s local election authority by the close of polls on Election Day in order to be counted.

Signature requirements and cure provisions

Missouri does not have a cure provision, or a law providing for a process where election officials follow up with voters whose absentee ballots contain a signature discrepancy or lack the requisite signatures. The envelope of an absentee ballot must be signed by "an election official, notary, or other officer authorized to administer oaths," according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Members of the military and their family members, overseas voters, and voters who are permanently disabled and their caregivers are exempt from the notary requirement.

Voter identification requirements

See also: Voter ID in Missouri

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Missouri requires voters to present photo identification while voting.

The following were accepted forms of identification as of April 2023. Click here for the Missouri Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

Voters can present the following forms of information:

• A nonexpired Missouri driver or non-driver license;
• A nonexpired 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 a voter does not have an ID, he or she can obtain one for free by filling out this form.

Background

On January 14, 2020, the Missouri Supreme Court, in a 5-2 ruling, upheld a lower court's decision striking down a state law that required voters without photo ID to sign affidavits before voting. Consequently, voters in Missouri may present either photo or non-photo identification at the polls and cast regular ballots without signing affidavits.

On October 9, 2018, Richard Callahan, a state court judge, originally enjoined the affidavit provision. Callahan found that the affidavit's language was "contradictory and misleading," requiring signers to "swear that they do not possess a form of personal identification approved for voting while simultaneously presenting to the election authority a form of personal identification that is approved." Callahan ordered officials to desist from executing the affidavit for voters presenting non-photo ID at the polls. Callahan also ordered officials not to distribute any materials indicating that a photo ID is required to vote. State officials appealed to the state supreme court, asking the court to stay Callahan's order. On October 19, 2018, the state supreme court denied the request for a stay, but permitted the appeal to proceed. This allowed Callahan's order to stand in advance of the November 6, 2018, election.

The state supreme court heard oral arguments in the appeal in October 2019. Justice Mary Rhodes Russell penned the court's opinion, which was joined by Chief Justice George Draper and Justices Paul C. Wilson, Patricia Breckenridge, and Laura Denvir Stith. Justices Wesley Brent Powell and Zel Fischer dissented. Russell wrote, "Because the affidavit requirement of sections 115.427.2(1) and 115.427.3 is misleading and contradictory, the circuit court’s judgment declaring the affidavit requirement unconstitutional is affirmed. Further, the circuit court did not err in enjoining the State from requiring individuals who vote under the non-photo identification option provided in section 115.427.2(1) to execute the affidavit or in enjoining it from disseminating materials indicating photo identification is required to vote."

Powell, joined by Fischer, wrote the following in his dissent: "If the affidavit requirement set forth in section 155.4271 is ambiguous, contradictory, and unconstitutional as the principal opinion proclaims, the opinion errs in severing the entire affidavit requirement without also severing the non-photo identification option set out in section 115.427.2 in its entirety. Because the legislature would not have enacted the non-photo identification option without an accompanying affidavit requirement, the principal opinion’s remedy is contrary to law."

As of August 2023, 34 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 11 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 16 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.

Provisional balloting for voters without ID

Voters who do not have ID while voting may cast provisional ballots. See below for provisional ballot rules.

Provisional ballot rules

Voters in Missouri are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances:

1. If the voter is unable to provide a valid form of identification, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.
2. If the voter’s name does not appear in the poll book, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot.

According to Missouri’s election rules, the following procedure is used to determine the validity of provisional ballots:

“

The election authority shall examine its records and verify that the provisional voter is duly registered and qualified to vote in the election. If the provisional voter has provided information regarding the registration agency where the provisional voter registered to vote, the election authority shall make an inquiry of the registration agency to determine whether the provisional voter is duly registered and qualified to vote in the election.

”

A provisional ballot is rejected in the following circumstances:

• If the voter is not registered to vote;
• If the voter voted in the wrong precinct; or
• If the voter is not eligible to vote.

Primary election type

See also: Primary elections in Missouri

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Missouri utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Time off work for voting

In Missouri, employers must allow employees three consecutive hours paid leave to vote on election days unless employees have three consecutive hours of non-work time to vote. Payment is conditional upon voting, and interference by employers is a punishable offense:

“

1. Any person entitled to vote at any election held within this state shall, on the day of such election, be entitled to absent himself from any services or employment in which he is then engaged or employed, for a period of three hours between the time of opening and the time of closing the polls for the purpose of voting, and any such absence for such purpose shall not be reason for the discharge of or the threat to discharge any such person from such services or employment; and such employee, if he votes, shall not, because of so absenting himself, be liable to any penalty or discipline, nor shall any deduction be made on account of such absence from his usual salary or wages; provided, however, that request shall be made for such leave of absence prior to the day of election, and provided further, that this section shall not apply to a voter on the day of election if there are three successive hours while the polls are open in which he is not in the service of his employer. The employer may specify any three hours between the time of opening and the time of closing the polls during which such employee may absent himself. 2. Any employer violating this section shall be deemed guilty of a class four election offense.

”

As of 2020, 28 states had laws requiring employers to provide time off for voting under certain conditions.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

In Missouri, people convicted of a felony receive automatic restoration of their voting rights upon completion of their sentence, including probation or parole, unless the felony–or misdemeanor–pertains to election-related offenses. People who have committed an election-related felony or misdemeanor are not allowed to vote.

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.

Voter list maintenance

All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.

When names can be removed from the voter list

Missouri law authorizes election officials to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:

• confirms in writing that they moved outside of their voting jurisdiction
• dies
• is convicted of a felony
• is adjudicated to be incapacitated
• remains on the inactive voter list through two consecutive general elections.

Inactive voter list rules

On June 29, 2022, Gov. Mike Parson (R) signed HB1878 into law, authorizing the secretary of state to conduct quarterly audits of the state's voter registration list and directing election officials to remove the names of ineligible voters from the list.

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

See also: Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records, to provide member states with detailed reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Each state pays annual dues, which are determined by a formula approved by the ERIC membership. The formula includes a state's citizen voting age population as a factor."

By 2022, 33 states and the District of Columbia had joined ERIC. As of August 2023, 26 states and the District of Columbia were members in the ERIC program.

As of August 2023, Missouri was not participating in the ERIC program.

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) withdrew Missouri from ERIC on March 6, 2023, citing its refusal to "require member states to participate in addressing multi-state voter fraud." According to ERIC, the effective date for this withdrawal was June 3, 2023.:

Post-election auditing

Missouri state law requires post-election audits. The audit is conducted by local election officials. Five percent of precincts are randomly selected to be audited. "If results differ by more than 0.5%, discrepancies are investigated and resolved." The audit must be completed before certification of the election results.

Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.

Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.

As of December 2023, 41 states and the District of Columbia required some form of post-election audit. Of these, 36 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, three states required risk-limiting post-election audits, and two states required procedural post-election audits.

Noteworthy events

2022

On June 29, 2022, Gov. Mike Parson (R) signed HB1878 into law. This bill made a number of modifications to the state's election laws, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Authorized the secretary of state to conduct quarterly audits of the state's voter registration list and directs election officials to remove the names of ineligible voters from the list;
• Prohibited changes to the state's election laws within 26 weeks of a presidential election;
• Prohibited election officials, at both the state and local levels, from accepting or spending private funds for the purpose of administering elections;
• Required voters to "declare a political party affiliation from the established political parties or declare themselves unaffiliated" upon registration;
• Allowed voters to file change-of-address forms after the registration deadline, up to and including Election Day, provided that they can present photo identification upon doing so;
• Barred payment for soliciting voter registration applications;
• Required entities that solicit more than 10 voter registration applications to register with the secretary of state;
• Required the use of paper ballots;
• Discontinued the use of touchscreen direct-recording electronic vote counting machines, effective Jan. 1, 2024;
• Required election authorities to conduct cybersecurity reviews once every two years;
• Prohibited the use of mail-in ballots under executive or administrative order;
• Specified that photo identification is required for voting a regular ballot or absentee/mail-in ballot in person;
• Eliminated the presidential preference primary, instead providing for the use of caucuses to determine presidential nominees; and
• Prohibited public officials from entering into a settlement in any civil action that "nullifies, suspends, enjoins, alters, or conflicts" with the state's election laws and authorizes the state legislature to intervene in any such action.

The state Senate approved the final version of the bill on May 9 by a vote of 23-11, with 23 Republicans voting in favor of the bill and 10 Democrats and one Republican voting against the bill. The state House followed suit on May 12 by a vote of 97-46, with 96 Republicans and one Democrat voting in favor and 46 Democrats voting against the bill.

Election policy ballot measures

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Missouri ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Missouri.

1. Missouri Campaign Finance and Disclosure, Proposition 1 (1974)
2. Missouri Election of Charter County Assessors, Amendment 1 (2010)
3. Missouri Initiative Petition Deadline, Amendment 1 (1998)
4. Missouri Campaign Contribution Limits, Proposition A (1994)
5. Missouri Public Campaign Financing, Proposition B (2000)
6. Missouri Naturalization Voting Requirement Amendment, Issue 4 (1912)
7. Missouri Voter Registration Amendment, Issue 5 (1912)
8. Missouri Grand Jury Investigation of Elections Amendment, Issue 8 (1912)
9. Missouri Voting Rights Amendment, Issue 9 (February 1924)
10. Missouri Candidates on the Ballot Amendment, Issue 10 (February 1924)
11. Missouri Residential Voting Requirements, Amendment 2 (1958)
12. Missouri Voting Age, Amendment 1 (1974)
13. Missouri Election Ballot Numbering System, Amendment 2 (August 1976)
14. Missouri General Election Canvassing, Amendment 9 (1978)
15. Missouri State and Judicial Campaign Contribution Limits, Constitutional Amendment 2 (2016)
16. Missouri Proposition 2, Women in Office Amendment (1921)
17. Missouri Electronic Signatures for Initiative Petitions Measure (2024)
18. Missouri Open Primary and Top Four Ranked Choice Voting Initiative (2024)
19. Missouri Open Primary and Top Five Ranked Choice Voting Initiative (2024)
20. Missouri Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)
21. Missouri Top-Three Ranked Choice Voting Measure (2024)
22. Missouri Conduct of Elections Amendment (2024)
23. Missouri Amendment 1, Lobbying, Campaign Finance, and Redistricting Initiative (2018)
24. Missouri Term Limits and Initiative Amendment (2024)
25. Missouri Single Political Party Primary Ballot and Require all Established Political Parties on the Ballot Initiative (2024)
26. Missouri Term Limits and Voter-Initiated Laws Amendment (2024)
27. Missouri Candidate Selection Amendment (2024)
28. Missouri Elections for Statewide Officials Amendment (2024)
29. Missouri Ballot Title and Candidate Selection Amendment (2024)
30. Missouri Require Constitutional Amendments to be Voted on in Even-Numbered Year Elections Amendment (2024)

Recent legislation related to election administration in Missouri

The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Missouri. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker

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The Ballot Bulletin

The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

Click here to view recent issues and subscribe.

Ballot access

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Missouri

A cardboard ballot box at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

In order to get on the ballot in Missouri, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Missouri. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Missouri." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Missouri

"Gerrymandering"

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Missouri's eight United States Representatives and 197 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.

Missouri was apportioned eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Missouri after the 2020 census.

HIGHLIGHTS

Following the 2020 United States Census, Missouri was apportioned eight congressional districts, which was unchanged from the number it had after the 2010 census.

Missouri's House of Representatives is made up of 163 districts; Missouri's State Senate is made up of 34 districts.

In Missouri, congressional district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. Two separate politician commissions enact state Senate and House district lines.

State process

See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures

In Missouri, congressional district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.

Two distinct politician commissions are ultimately responsible for state legislative redistricting, one for the Missouri State Senate and another for the Missouri House of Representatives. Membership on these commissions is determined as follows:

1. Senate redistricting commission: The state committee of each major political party nominates 10 members to the commission, for a total of 20 nominees. From this pool, the governor selects five members per party, for a total of 10 commissioners.
2. House redistricting commission: The congressional district committee of each major political party nominates two members per congressional district, for a total of 32 nominees. From this pool, the governor appoints one member per party per district, for a total of 16 commissioners.

Election administration agencies

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Missouri can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Missouri Election Authority

Click here for a list

Secretary of State Elections Division

600 West Main Street

Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

Telephone: 573-751-2301

Email: elections@sos.mo.gov

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Telephone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

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Recall

Democratic primaries 2024

• United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2024
• United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2024
• Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
• Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
• Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
• State legislative Democratic primaries, 2024

Republican primaries 2024

• United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2024
• United States House Republican Party primaries, 2024
• Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
• Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
• Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
• State legislative Republican primaries, 2024

See also

• 2024 election dates and deadlines
• Voting in Missouri
• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Missouri
• Redistricting in Missouri

Elections in Missouri

• Missouri elections, 2023
• Missouri elections, 2022
• Missouri elections, 2021
• Missouri elections, 2020
• Missouri elections, 2019
• Missouri elections, 2018
• Missouri elections, 2017
• Missouri elections, 2016
• Missouri elections, 2015
• Missouri elections, 2014

External links

• Missouri Secretary of State - Elections