Vote

Know your rights

Unless you were convicted of an election offense, you are eligible to vote in Missouri elections once your sentence and probation or parole are complete.

Here’s what you need to know:

  1. Confirm your polling place. You must vote in the precinct that serves your address. You can look up your polling place at sos.mo.gov/elections/VoterLookup.
  2. What if your name is not in the poll book? The poll worker should check the roster and the inactive list. If your name is not found, they should call the election headquarters to see where you are registered and direct you to the correct polling place or Election Board headquarters. You can always cast a provisional ballot as a last resort.
  3. Provisional ballots cast in the wrong polling place don’t count. You have the right to cast a provisional ballot if your eligibility can’t be established, but it won’t count unless it’s cast at your correct polling place or Election Board headquarters.
  4. You have the right to get help voting. If you need help reading or casting your ballot, you can get help from an election official or any person you choose except your employer or union representative. Your helper does not need to be over 18 or a registered voter. Children are allowed in the polling place with you. If your polling place is not physically accessible to you, poll workers must come to your car and let you vote curbside at the polling place.
  5. You can get a new ballot if you need one. If you make a mistake or damage your ballot before you submit it, you can request a new one.
  6. What if you moved? If you moved to a different precinct within the same county, you can vote and file a change of address form at the polling place that serves your new address or at Election Board headquarters. If you moved to a new county, you need to re-register there for future elections.
  7. What if you requested, but didn’t submit, an absentee ballot? You can still vote at the polls if you bring the ballot with you or if it hasn’t been received by the Election Board. If you’re in line at the polls when they close, you can still vote, no matter how long the line is.
  8. What if your eligibility is challenged at the polls? You can cast a regular ballot if the poll worker finds that you are, in fact, registered. If your eligibility can’t be established, you can still vote a provisional ballot. No one at a polling place may interfere or intimidate you. No one can influence your vote within 25 feet of the polling place entrance.
Your vote matters