ABSENTEE VOTING INFORMATION

Oral arguments in the absentee ballot lawsuit filed by LWVMO and the NAACP were heard in the Missouri Supreme Court on June 15. ACLU lawyer Sophia Lakin argued that voters should not need to have their signatures on ballot envelopes verified by a notary during the COVID-19 pandemic. The League hopes for a decision soon.

In the last hour of the legislative session, the Missouri General Assembly approved changes to the absentee ballot process for the August and November elections. Voters over 65 or with an underlying condition the CDC says are at higher risk of COVID-19 complications can use a new excuse that doesn’t require a notary. Click here for an updated form to request an absentee ballot at least two weeks before the Aug. 4 primary or Nov. 3 general election.

SB631 established a new COVID-19 excuse for healthy voters under age 65 to request a mail-in ballot, but voters using that new form will have to have their ballots notarized. To help voters understand the new options for 2020, the League has prepared a two-page Fact Sheet on Absentee Voting.

Contact your local election authority if you have any questions or would like to request a form to be placed on the permanently disabled list

If you’re not registered to vote or need to update your address, the deadlines are July 8 for the primary and Oct. 7 for the Nov. 3 general election. Register online at https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/govotemissouri/register.