Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in Missouri
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for Missouri, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the Missouri Secretary of State or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 7.
Key dates
- Register online by
Wednesday, October 7
Registration deadline for the November 3 general election (fourth Wednesday before).
- Register by mail by
Wednesday, October 7
Postmarked by the fourth Wednesday before the election.
- Register in person by
Wednesday, October 7
At the local election authority (county clerk or election board).
- Same-day registration
No
- Early voting
Tuesday, October 20 to Monday, November 2
Computed: the second Tuesday before the election (RSMo 115.277). Before that date, in-person absentee voting requires an excuse.
- How early voting works
From October 20 through 5 p.m. November 2, any voter may vote absentee in person without a reason at a site set by the local election authority. Photo ID is required.
- Request a mail ballot by
Wednesday, October 21
Computed: mailed or faxed requests must be received by 5 p.m. on the second Wednesday before the election.
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Received, not postmarked: absentee ballots received after polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day are not counted (RSMo 115.293).
- Election Day polling hours
6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Central time. Voters in line at 7 p.m. may vote.
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
You need a reason to vote by mail
Mail ballots need one of these reasons: absent from the jurisdiction on Election Day; illness or disability (or caring for someone confined); religious belief; working for an election authority, or as a first responder, health care worker or law enforcement officer; incarceration with voting rights retained; address confidentiality program. Mail ballot envelopes must be notarized except for military/overseas voters and permanently disabled voters and their caregivers.
- Drop boxes
No
RSMo 115.291.5: "No absentee ballot shall be delivered through a drop box and no election authority shall establish or use a drop box for the purpose of collecting absentee ballots." Ballots are returned by mail or in person to the local election authority.
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Not counted — your ballot must arrive by the deadline
Absentee ballots received after polls close are not counted, except as federal law provides for some military and overseas ballots.
ID at the polls
- The rule
Photo ID required
Photo ID is required at the polls and for in-person absentee voting. A voter without one may cast a provisional ballot, which counts if they return with photo ID on Election Day or if their signature matches their registration record.
- What to bring
Bring a non-expired Missouri or U.S. government photo ID (driver's or nondriver license, passport, military or veteran ID). A license that expired after the most recent general election is accepted. Free nondriver licenses are available for voting.
When will we know results in Missouri?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
7 p.m. Central time — 8 p.m. Eastern
Central time; the whole state is in one time zone.
- Mail ballots can be processed from
Thursday, October 29
Computed: election authorities may begin preparing absentee ballots for tabulation no earlier than the fifth day before the election, with 48 hours' notice to the major parties (RSMo 115.300).
- Mail ballots can be counted from
Tuesday, November 3
Absentee votes are counted on Election Day by bipartisan teams (RSMo 115.299).
- Counties finish their count by
Tuesday, November 17
Computed: local verification boards certify results no later than the second Tuesday after the election (RSMo 115.507).
- State certifies results
Tuesday, December 8
Computed: the Board of State Canvassers announces results no later than the second Tuesday in December (RSMo 115.511).
- Automatic recount
None
No automatic recount.
- Requested recount
A defeated candidate, or a side of a ballot question, that lost by less than one-half of one percent may request a recount; for offices and questions certified by the Secretary of State, the request is filed with the Secretary of State.
RSMo 115.601. Deadline and costs were not summarized here.
- Runoff
No general election runoff.
- Ranked-choice voting
Not used
- Votes needed to pass a ballot measure
A simple majority
Simple majority. Mo. Const. art. XII, § 2(b): "If a majority of the votes cast thereon is in favor of any amendment, the same shall take effect at the end of thirty days after the election." This is the text in force as of 2026-10-08.
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Missouri Secretary of State.