Show All Answers

1. When does absentee voting begin?

Absentee voting begins on the 6th Tuesday prior to the election.

2. I am going to be out of town, but I still want to vote, what are my options?

Any voter who may be out of town, away at school or incapacitated due to illness and, therefore, will not be able to vote at the poll on election day, is invited to cast an absentee ballot.

View and download an Absentee Ballot Application Form (PDF).

3. Does Missouri have Early Voting?

Missouri does not have "Early Voting" but does have "No Excuse Absentee Voting". No Excuse Absentee Voting begins two weeks prior to an election and can only be done in person in the office of the County Clerk/Election Authority's Office in Hillsboro or at a satellite location, if available.

4. How do I vote absentee vote? Does Missouri have "No Excuse Absentee Voting"?

Missouri now has two (2) ways to vote prior to Election Day. The first option is absentee voting with an excuse that begins 6 weeks prior to Election Day and can be done in-person or via mail.  The second option is no-excuse absentee voting and can only be done in-person.

Jefferson County residents who will not be able to go to their polling place on election day may vote absentee beginning six weeks prior to an election. Voters may request absentee with excuse ballots from the County Clerk/Election Authority in person, by email or by fax. A parent or adult child of a registered voter may complete an absentee ballot application on behalf of the voter who wishes to vote absentee.

Absentee ballot applications must be sent to this office by the deadline to be valid. This deadline is the 2nd Wednesday before the election.

5. Where do I absentee vote? What is the deadline to absentee vote?

Absentee voting takes place in the County Clerk’s office only, located at:
729 Maple Street
Suite G17
Hillsboro, MO 63050

The deadline to vote absentee in person is the Monday before the election on Tuesday. The deadline to request that an absentee ballot be sent to you is the 2nd Wednesday before the Tuesday election. (This allows the post office time to deliver the ballot to you and for you to send the ballot back to us.)

6. If I vote absentee, will it count? I heard it doesn't count!

This is an absentee voting myth!

Under Missouri law, all ballots, including those cast at the poll and those cast by absentee are counted. It does not matter if the election is close or not, all absentee ballots are counted in every election. Voters sometimes believe that absentee ballots are only counted if they might determine the outcome.

Again, all ballots are counted in every election.

7. I am disabled. How do I get a ballot sent to me every election?

The Jefferson County Clerk’s office maintains an ’permanent list’ of absentee voters. If a voter wishes to be placed on the permanent absentee list, the voter should send us a written request that includes: full name, address, address where ballot is to be sent and signature and most importantly the reason the voter wishes to be placed on the list.

View and download an Permanent Absentee Request Application (PDF).

8. I have received my absentee ballot, what do I do now? When do I send it back?

Please use a black/blue ink pen and "color-in" the circle in front of the name of the candidate for whom you want to vote. Be careful to stay inside the circle. Place the ballot into the return envelope that we have provided and send the absentee ballot back to us immediately. Any ballot that is received after 7 pm on election day shall not be counted according to Missouri law.

Do not take your absentee ballot to the poll on Election Day!

9. I have requested but never received my absentee ballot, why?

Please contact us immediately if you have not received your ballot. Missouri law requires that we process each request within 3 business days of receipt of the request. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is the 2nd Wednesday prior to the election.

Common mistakes:

• Did you provide your P.O. Box?
• School address?
• Was the request made after the deadline?

10. My child is away at college, may I request a ballot for him/her?

Yes, Missouri law allows a parent to request an absentee ballot. Relatives within the second degree (spouse, parent, child, grandparent, brother, sister, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, or son-in-law) may complete an absentee ballot application, in-person, on behalf of the voter who wishes to vote absentee. Our office will then mail a ballot to the voter. No family member can ’pickup’ or ’leave’ our office with another person’s ballot.

View and download an Absentee Ballot Application (PDF).

11. Do I have to get my absentee ballot notarized? Must a notary watch me vote my ballot?

Any voter who will be out of town, away at college or absent on election day must have his ballot envelope notarized. A notary will not watch a voter color-in the circles on his/her ballot. A notary will only ’witness’ the voter’s signature. Any envelope that is required to be notarized, but is not notarized, will not be opened and, in accordance with Missouri law, will not be counted. Any voter who has requested and received an absentee ballot for health reasons is not required to have the ballot envelope notarized.

Note: Regardless of the notary requirement, all ballot envelopes must contain the signature of the voter. Failure to include the signature on the envelope will result in the ballot inside the envelope not being counted.

A voter should never sign his/her name on the ballot itself or allow anyone else to write on the ballot.

12. What should I do about my voter registration if I marry, move or change my name?

A voter should contact our office immediately to make the necessary change. See the Secretary of State website for the form a voter should use if he moves, marries or changes his name. 

13. I moved to Jefferson County from St. Louis County/City and I was registered to vote there, am I still registered to vote?

No, you are not considered a registered voter in Jefferson County, Missouri if you have moved here but not yet completed a voter registration application. If a voter has moved from one county to another county, the voter is required by Missouri law to complete a new voter registration form and send it to the new county.