New law brings election changes

Heather Mosley | SBJ

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2022 Election Coverage

A new state law went into effect Aug. 28, and voters now are required to verify their identity with a current Missouri driver’s license, a Missouri nondriver’s license, a military photo identification or a passport.

Voters do not need a Real ID to vote, and the address on their ID does not need to match the address on their voter registration.

Voters without one of these forms of ID may cast a provisional ballot on Election Day, and election authorities then will determine if their ballot signature matches previous signatures on record. If so, the vote will be counted within the certification period.

Shane Schoeller, Greene County Clerk, said since provisional voting began in 2017, his office has had only one ballot rejected for having an unmatched signature.

Increased numbers of provisional ballots may delay election results.

Additional changes:
• From Oct. 25 to Nov. 7, voters can cast a ballot at their local election office without giving a reason. Schoeller said this cuts down on lines on Election Day. “Shorter lines on the day of the election are going to translate into less problems,” Schoeller said.
• Registered Missouri voters may update their address at any time, even if they move counties and even on Election Day.
• Mail-in absentee voting is still permitted. Those people who are disabled or homebound can complete a form from their local election authority to be placed on the permanent absentee voting list.
• A provision in the new law states that once an absentee ballot is received by the election authority from the mail carrier, it is deemed to have been cast. If a voter forgets to sign the outside of the envelope as required, the ballot will not be counted.

Reporting from The Missouri Independent contributed to this story.