The date to file for County Office begins at 8:00 AM on the last Tuesday in February and ends at 5:00 PM on the last Tuesday in March.

Anyone that reaches the age of 17½ may register if they will be 18 by the date of the next election. Registration books close the fourth Wednesday before each election. To be correctly registered for the first time in Cape Girardeau County you must register before the books close. You must provide some form of identification proving you are that person when registering. You may also register by mail by picking up an appropriate form at one of the following locations.

COUNTY CLERKS OFFICE
1 BARTON SQUARE
JACKSON, MO  63755

REGISTRATION OFFICE CAPE GIRARDEAU
44 N. LORIMIER
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO  63701

RIVERSIDE REGIONAL LIBRARY
204 S UNION
JACKSON, MO  63755

CAPE GIRARDEAU CITY LIBRARY
711 N. CLARK
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO  63701

LICENSE BUREAU
125 E. MAIN
JACKSON, MO  63755

LICENSE BUREAU
112 S. SPANISH
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO  63701

MISSOURI DIVISION OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY
6 GIRARDEAU CT
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO  63701

CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER
1121 LINDEN
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO  63701

Any registered voter of this state may vote by absentee ballot if he or she expects to be prevented from going to the polls to vote on election day, due to the following:

• Absence on election day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which he is registered to vote.

• 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;

• Religious belief or practice.

• Employment as an election authority as a member of an election authority, or by an election authority as a location other than his or her polling place.

• Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained.

• Any person in Federal service who is eligible to register and vote in any election in this state may vote in the election if he or she is not registered.

  Request for Missouri Absentee Ballot Form (adobe acrobat reader required)

Application for absentee ballot may be made by the applicant in person, or by mail, or for the applicant in person by his or her guardian or a relative within the second degree by consanguinity or affinity.

Each application shall state the applicants name, address at which he or she is registered, his or her reason for voting an absentee ballot, and the address to which the ballot is to mailed, if requested. Each application to vote in a primary election shall also state which party ballot the applicant wishes to receive.

Absentee ballots may be returned by the applicant in person, or by mail, or for the applicant in person by his or her guardian or a relative within the second degree by consanguinity or affinity.

Cape Girardeau County had used the punch card method of voting since 1980. However, in the 2004 elections, the optical scan method of voting was introduced. The optical scan voting complies with the Help America Vote Act.