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More than 800,000 ballots already cast in Missouri

More than 800,000 ballots have already been returned to the state of Missouri, according to the Secretary of State’s Office

More than 60,100 mail-in ballots were requested this year, and more than 816,000 Missouri voters solicited an absentee ballot. Nearly 828,000 ballots had been returned as of Monday, the Office reported. 

For comparison, more than 282,150 absentee ballots were counted for the 2016 general election. More than 2.8 million total ballots were cast in that election.  

Mail-in voting was authorized for the first time in Missouri for the 2020 elections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new law requires ballots to be notarized in order to count. Absentee voting was also expanded to allow high-risk individuals to opt for absentee ballots without the need to have them notarized. 

Missouri statutes allow a Missouri who has not yet voted and is incapacitated by an illness or injury, such as a positive COVID-19 test, to contact their local election authorities about an emergency voting option, according to the office.  

Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft outlined Election Day procedures to Missouri voters in a statement Monday, reminding them to avoid wearing political apparel, bringing firearms, and taking pictures in their polling places. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m., and unofficial results will begin updating on the Office’s websites after polls close. 

“On Election Day, we urge voters to focus their political passion on their ballot instead of their apparel, and refrain from taking selfies or other photos in their polling place,” Ashcroft said. “With Missourians across the state set to cast their ballots tomorrow, we want to ensure voters know what they will encounter at their polling places.”

Monday was the final day to vote in-person absentee.