The Voting Process

Your Voting Questions, Answered

Do You Have Questions about the Voting Process?

Your County Clerk’s office is a great place to start.

Be Sure You are Registered to Vote

Your voter registration form must be POSTMARKED by the fourth Wednesday before the election. To register, go to any public library and ask at the main desk. Or, call your County Clerk’s office for more information on how to register. Your voter identification card will be mailed to you a few weeks after you have registered. If you do not receive your voter ID card in a few weeks, call your County Clerk.

Your Voting Location

Your voter identification card will have the name and address of the voting location where you will go to vote.

What Hours Are Voting Locations Open?

The polls (voting locations) are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. across the state of Missouri.

If You are Unable to Vote on Election Day

You may vote absentee before Election Day if you are out of town or unable to vote on Election Day. To request an absentee ballot, contact your County Clerk’s office.

Learn About the Candidates and Ballot Issues

Before you go vote, learn about the candidates and the issues on the ballot. Go to the website Vote411.org and enter your address. Here you can see a sample ballot for your voting location, print it out, and take it with you on Election Day. You can read where the candidates stand on the issues. You may pick up the League’s free nonpartisan Voter’s Guide at all area libraries. Vote411.org and the Voter’s Guide are produced by the League of Women Voters of Southwest Missouri. The League never supports or opposes candidates or political parties.

Take Your Identification – Any one of these forms of I.D. will work:

  • A valid Missouri driver’s license, a valid Missouri non-driver’s license, or your voter identification card
  • Identification issued by the United States government (U.S. passport or military I.D.)
  • Identification issued by a university, college, vocational and technical school, located within the state of Missouri
  • A current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government documents that contain your name and address
  • Driver’s license or state identification card issued by another state

When You Arrive at Your Voting Location

Go to the table of election workers and show them your I.D. They will give you a ballot and answer any questions you might have. Find an empty seat or voting booth to fill out the ballot. Take as much time as you want. hen you finish, an election worker will show you how to put your ballot into the counting machine. Remember—it is not necessary to vote for every office or every proposed issue on the ballot. You may leave the ones you don’t want to vote for blank.

Missouri Secretary of State

For more information about voting in Missouri, please visit the website of our state’s chief election official: Office of the Missouri Secretary of State