Missouri absentee and mail ballot guide
Missouri absentee ballot overview
Absentee ballots and mail ballots are the same thing, and the process for getting one is straight forward.
- Request your ballot by the deadline
- Receive your in ballot in the mail
- Return your ballot by the deadline
Missouri absentee deadlines
- Earliest day to apply: January 1
- Request deadline (online): N/A
- Request deadline (by mail): Received by 13 days before Election Day
- Request deadline (in person): 1 day before Election Day
- Deadline to return your ballot (by mail): Received by Election Day
- Deadline to return your ballot (in person): Received by Election Day
Missouri absentee ballot rules
You can vote using an absentee ballot in Missouri if:
- you will be away from home on Election Day
- you are incapacitated or confined due to illness or physical disability
- you are the caretaker for an incapacitated or physically disabled person
- you are restricted by religious belief or practice
- you will be working at a polling place on Election Day that is not your designated polling place.
- you are incarcerated but not yet convicted of a crime
- You are a participant in the Department of State's Address Confidentiality Program
Missouri online ballot request
Missouri does not allow you to request your ballot online.
Missouri by-mail ballot request
- Download the Missouri absentee ballot application.
- Fill out all of the required fields.
- Print the application.
- Sign and date your application. This is very important.
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed application directly to your local election office as soon as possible, but no later than the deadline.
- If it’s close to the deadline, call your local election office and see if they will let you submit your application via email or fax.
- Your application must be received by 13 days before Election Day.
Missouri in-person ballot request
- Visit your local election office.
- Ask the clerk to give you an absentee ballot application.
- Fill out all of the required fields.
- Sign and date your application.
- The deadline to apply in person is 1 day before Election Day.
After you receive your ballot
- Carefully read and follow the instructions, and fill out all required fields.
- Sign and date the outside envelope.
- Mail or hand-deliver your ballot to your local election office.
- If you mail your ballot, it must be received by Election Day.
- If you hand-deliver your ballot, it must be received by Election Day.
- If you miss the deadline – or forget to sign the outside envelope – your vote will not be counted.
Missouri absentee ballot ID requirements
- ID required when requesting a mail-in ballot:
You must include your Missouri driver's license, state ID Number, or the last 4 digits of your social security number on your absentee ballot application.
- ID required when returning a mail-in ballot:
To return your by-mail ballot you must include your signature and the signature of a notary or court clerk. Your signature on the return envelope will be compared to the signature on your voter registration card to ensure they match. If you forget to sign the return envelope, your ballot might be rejected.
Missouri absentee ballot tracker
Missouri does not have a statewide ballot tracker. Contact your local election office.
Missouri absentee ballot curing
Ballot curing is the process of resolving any problems with your absentee or mail ballot to ensure that your vote is counted. After tracking your ballot, contact your local election office to fix any issues that have been noted.
- Your ballot will be rejected if you forget to sign it.
- Your ballot will also be rejected if it's not notarized.
Missouri emergency ballots
Some states have special procedures that allow you to obtain an emergency ballot if a medical or other emergency occurs after the standard absentee ballot application window.
Emergency Ballot RulesMissouri does not offer emergency absentee ballots. If you miss the regular absentee ballot deadline, you will have to vote in person.
Missouri does not offer emergency ballots.
Contact your local election office
Local election office
Contact your local election office if you have questions.
Statewide election office
This is the statewide agency that is ultimately responsible for Missouri elections. You can contact them with questions, but your local election office will probably respond faster.
Secretary of State P.O. Box 1767 Jefferson City, MO 65102‐1767