Voting rules for this state, checked October 12, 2026; your state election office is the final word.

Voting in Missouri

General election: Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

At a glance

Online, by mail or in person

You must register before the deadline below.

ID at the polls

Photo ID asked for

Without photo ID, vote a provisional ballot that counts if you return with ID by 7 p.m. that day or your signature matches. No ID? Ask your election office whether it offers a free one for voting. First-time voters who registered by mail may need to show ID under federal law.

Mail voting

Mail voting needs a reason

Excuses: absent from jurisdiction, illness/disability (or caregiver), religious belief, election worker/first responders/health care/law enforcement, incarceration with voting rights, ACP participant Return deadline: received by 7 p.m. Nov 3 (close of polls).

Early in-person voting

Yes

No-excuse in-person absentee Oct 20 - Nov 2 (second Tuesday before through day before; photo ID required)

After a conviction

Voting rights return after the whole sentence, including parole or probation

Since HB 1871 took effect Aug 28, 2026, most people on parole or felony probation can vote; those convicted of certain serious felonies (e.g. murder, first/second-degree assault) remain barred until probation/parole ends.

Deadlines

Step	Date	Notes
Register online	Wednesday, October 7
Register by mail	Wednesday, October 7
Register in person	Wednesday, October 7
Election Day	Tuesday, November 3	Polls close times vary; check your state.

Mail ballot request: received by 5 p.m. Oct 21 (second Wednesday before). Mail ballot return: received by 7 p.m. Nov 3 (close of polls).

Where the road gets harder

Every rule is a cost, and it doesn't fall on everyone the same. A deadline, a document or a trip to an office is easy for some people and a real obstacle for others: people who work hourly jobs, move often, live far from an office, don't drive, or have a disability. Here is what that looks like in Missouri.

Registration closes before Election Day (in person: Wednesday, October 7). Miss it and you can't vote in this election. If you've moved, your registration may need updating by then too.
Registration isn't automatic. Each person has to sign up on their own, which leaves out people who don't know the rules or move often.
You need an accepted reason to vote by mail. Excuses: absent from jurisdiction, illness/disability (or caregiver), religious belief, election worker/first responders/health care/law enforcement, incarceration with voting rights, ACP participant. Everyone else votes in person.
A mail ballot envelope needs a witness or notary signature, an extra step that is harder for people who live alone or are homebound.
Mail ballots have to arrive by Election Day; a postmark isn't enough. A ballot mailed in the last days can arrive too late and won't count, so return it in person if it's close.
After a felony conviction: Since HB 1871 took effect Aug 28, 2026, most people on parole or felony probation can vote; those convicted of certain serious felonies (e.g. murder, first/second-degree assault) remain barred until probation/parole ends.
Missouri's 2022 election law established a photo ID requirement at the polls; a state judge left it in place in November 2024 after finding challengers lacked standing.Source: KSMU / Missouri Independent

News from Missouri

Recent election, voting and policy headlines that mention Missouri, newest first. They are found automatically and not checked: a headline shows what someone published, not that it is true.

News appears here once the news feed is connected.

All news, and travel back in time

Official links

Missouri Secretary of State. These go straight to the government, not to us.

Sources

Checked October 12, 2026. Laws and court rulings change, sometimes close to an election. If anything here disagrees with your state or county election office, they are right and we are wrong; please tell us.