Absentee Voting Begins September 22nd For November Election

     With record numbers of voters expected to take advantage of absentee or mail-in ballots for the November 3rd general election, voters are encouraged to request mail-in or absentee ballots as soon as possible and return them well before Election Day.
     Corey Dillon, Director, Jackson County Election Board said high turnout is expected for the November election as well as a record number of requests for  absentee ballot and mail-in ballots. 
     Missouri does not usually offer mail-in voting, but an exception was made for the August primary and November general election due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
     “If absentee or mail-in voting is what a voter expects to do, it is best to get the application to us as soon as possible.  Once we mail ballots out around September 22nd, voters will need to return the ballots to us as quickly as possible.  Don’t wait until the last minute,” Dillon said.
     “We have received hundreds of absentee and mail-in ballot requests for the November election..”
     Every registered voter is eligible to request a mail-in ballot for the November election. To apply, voters must complete an application for a mail-in ballot. The application can be found on the Jackson County Election Board’s website, www.jcebmo.org.
     Completed applications may be mailed to the Election Board or delivered in-person to their office, located at 215 N. Liberty on the Independence Square.
     Once a voter’s application for mail-in ballot has been received, a ballot will be mailed around September 22nd. Voters must have the completed ballot notarized before returning by mail.
     The Secretary of State’s office is maintaining a list of free notaries on their website at:  https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/MailinNotary.
     Voters may also request an absentee ballot for the November 3rd election if they meet one of the following criteria:
 
1. Absent from your voting jurisdiction on Election Day;
2. Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability;
3. Religious belief or practice;
4. Employment as a poll worker;
5. Incarceration (with voting rights);
6. Certified participation in address confidentiality program;
7. Contracted or in an at-risk category for contracting or transmitting COVID-19.
 
     Absentee ballots must also be notarized unless requesting an absentee ballot due to confinement or incapacitation due to illness or disability or in the at-risk category for COVID-19 (anyone 65 or older or with underlying health conditions listed on the application).
     Absentee ballots may be delivered to the Election Board in person or mailed as directed on the application.
     Applications for absentee and mail-in voting must be received by 5:00pm on October 21, 2020 for the November General Election. All ballots must be received by 7:00pm on Election Day.
     For more information, contact the Jackson County Election Board at 816-325-4600 or visit their website at www.jcebmo.org.