JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – We’re less than three weeks away from the Nov. 5, 2024, general election. Registered voters in Missouri will have the chance to vote on candidates for U.S. president, U.S. Senate, and state offices, in addition to several proposed amendments.
Not everyone who intends to vote will head to their local polling place on Nov. 5. Many registered voters plan to participate in early voting to fulfill their civic duty prior to election day.
According to Google Trends, heading into Wednesday, two of the top-three searched inquiries for Missourians on Google were “Does Missouri have early voting?” and “When does early voting start in Missouri?”
Although the state formally recognizes early voting under different terminology, JoDonn Chaney, director of communications for the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office, tells FOX 2 that the procedure most people associate with early voting for the 2024 general election is already underway.
State statutes refer to early voting in essence as absentee voting. Local election authorities in Missouri then offer absentee voting with an excuse and no-excuse absentee voting.
When do “excuse” and “no-excuse” forms of absentee voting start? And what’s the difference? Here’s a quick explainer…
Absentee voting (with an excuse)
Absentee voting with an excuse in Missouri is underway. It began on Sept. 24, or six weeks ahead of the Nov. 5 election day.
To participate in absentee voting with an excuse, a registered voter must submit an absentee ballot application to their local election authority.
In the application, according to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office, voters must request an absentee ballot to return by mail, then provide one of the reasons for voting absentee:
Absence from his or her registered county on election day
Illness or disability preventing him or her from getting to the polls
Religious beliefs or practices
Working as an election official
Being incarcerated but meeting other voter registration requirements
After that, the prospective absentee voters with an excuse should receive a ballot by mail, fill it out, get it notarized and return it to their local election authority via mail or fax.
According to the Secretary of State’s Office:
Mail-in or faxed absentee ballot requests must be received by the election authority no later than 5:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday prior to any election, or in this upcoming election’s case, Oct. 23.
Absentee voters with an excuse can also turn in their ballot in-person to the office of his or her local election authority until 5 p.m. the night before the election, Nov. 4.
Also of note, if there are issues with verifying voter registration, an absentee voter with an excuse cannot cast a provisional ballot and should check on his or her Missouri voter registration status.
Absentee voting (no excuse)
Absentee voting without an excuse in Missouri will begin on Oct. 22, or two weeks ahead of the Nov. 5 election day.
To participate in absentee voting without an excuse, a registered voter should visit their county clerk’s office between Tuesday, Oct. 22 and Monday, Nov. 4 and notify of their intent to cast an absentee ballot.
Unlike absentee voting with an excuse, no-excuse absentee voters do not need to disclose a reason on why they cannot vote at their local polling place on election day.
Once a prospective no-excuse absentee voter receives and completes a ballot, he or she must return it to their local election authority. This must be completed by 5 p.m. the night before the election, Nov. 4.
Additionally, on par with no-excuse absentee voting, a state statute requires all local election authorities in Missouri to be open for four hours on the Saturday before an election, in this case Nov. 2 for the upcoming general election. Prospective no-excuse absentee voters who are registered to vote can acquire, fill out and return their ballots to their local election authority during those hours.
Also of note, if there are issues with verifying voter registration, a no-excuse absentee voter cannot cast a provisional ballot and should check on his or her Missouri voter registration status.
