Frequently Asked Questions-General
1. What are the qualifications to be a voter?
In order to register to vote, an individual must be:
- A citizen of the United States;
- A resident of the State of Missouri; and
- 17 years and 6 months of age (must be 18 to vote on Election Day).
If an individual meets these requirements, they are entitled to register to vote. To be entitled to vote, a person:
- Must be registered to vote in the jurisdiction of the person's domicile prior to the election;
- Cannot be imprisoned;
- Cannot be on probation or parole after conviction of a felony;
- Cannot have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor connected to voting; and
- Cannot have been declared incapacitated.
2. I was convicted of a felony, and have completed my probation and parole. Can I vote?
Yes. Upon completion of your sentence and probation or parole, you are eligible to vote in elections. Individuals who have been convicted of an election offense, whether a felony or misdemeanor, are not allowed to vote.
3. Can I vote without my voter identification card or without a photo ID?
Yes. You can vote without your voter identification card as long as you have another form of valid personal identification. Photo ID is not required.
4. I will be out of town on Election Day. How will I vote?
If you are going to be unable to vote on Election Day due to:
- Absence from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which you are registered to vote,
- Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability, including primary caregivers
- Religious belief or practice,
- Employment as an election authority, as a member of an election authority, or by an election authority at a location other than your polling place, and
- Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained, then you are eligible to vote by absentee ballot.
The absentee voting period begins on the sixth Tuesday before the date of the election. All requests for an absentee ballot should be submitted by the day before the election if voting in person, or by 5:00 p.m. the Wednesday immediately before the election if requesting a ballot to be mailed. The ballot must be mailed to the voter and can not be taken to them by someone else. The election authority must receive all absentee ballots by the close of polls on Election Day in order to be counted.
You can apply for an absentee ballot in person, by mail, by fax, or a guardian or relative to the second degree (parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, grandparents, as well as these relationships through marriage) may request in person an absentee ballot for you to be mailed. Once completed, mail the absentee application to the County Clerk’s Office at #1 Barton Sq. Suite 301, Jackson, MO 63755.
A request can also be in writing and needs to contain the following information:
- name;
- voter registration address;
- reason for voting absentee; and
- the address to which the ballot is to be mailed, if requested;
- which party's ballot is requested, if a primary election;
- Birthdate; and
- Voter’s signature
5. What happens if I go to my polling place on Election Day and my name is not in the poll book?
If your name does not appear on the poll book and you are eligible to vote at that precinct, you may be entitled to vote a provisional ballot. Every effort will be made to determine your eligibility and your correct polling place so that you can cast a regular ballot. If it can be determined that you are at the wrong polling place, you will be directed to the correct or central polling place to cast a regular ballot. Casting a ballot at the wrong polling place will result in the disqualification of your ballot.
6. If I registered to vote by mail, how do I know my registration has been received and processed?
If you have not received a verification notice within seven to ten days, you should contact the County Clerk’s Office to verify that your mail-in registration was received and processed. You will receive your identification card after voting for the first time.
7. What kind of primary election does Missouri have?
Missouri has what is known as an "open" primary. In an open primary, voters may take a ballot for any party and vote for those candidates. Missouri does not require voters to "affiliate" with any political party when they register, however, you must choose a specific party ballot or a non-partisan ballot if available.
8. Does my absentee vote count?
Yes. All absentee ballots are opened, separated from their envelopes and counted on Election Day at the County Clerk’s Office. The ballots are ran through an optical scan tabulator just like ballots are at the polls by a team of election judges, the results are saved on a memory card and uploaded on Election Night at the close of the polls. Absentee results are usually the first to display on election night.
9. When are Write-In votes counted?
Write-In votes are only counted if one of these two events occurs: 1. A candidate files a declaration to be a write-in candidate by 5:00 pm on the 2nd Friday preceding an election. 2. No candidate has filed for an office to be voted on in the election. Write-In candidates are not included in a Primary Election except Central Committee positions.