Missourians heading to the polls on Election Day (Tuesday) need to remember one important item if they want to cast their ballots: a valid form of photo ID or an approved alternative.
According to the Secretary of State's website, in order to vote, Missourians must provide either:
- A Missouri driver's license
- A Missouri non-driver's license
- A U.S. passport, or
- A military ID
As a backup, Missourians may still vote if they present either:
- A valid voter registration card
- A university ID from a Missouri college or vocational school
- A utility bill, or
- A bank statement, government check, or other government document showing the voter's name and address
If those forms of ID cannot be presented, the voter may cast a provisional ballot. Come back and show one of those approved forms of ID, and your vote counts. Alternatively, if your signature matches the signature on your voter registry, your vote will also count.
Missouri's voter identification law went into effect in June 2017. Ballotpedia categorizes Missouri's voter identification law as a "non-strict, non-photo ID," one category away from the loosest voter identification law. Originally, voters who presented a non-photo ID, such as a voter registration card, would be asked to sign an affidavit. Last month, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the immediate effectiveness of Judge Richard Callahan's order that Missouri can't require voters without a photo ID who are "otherwise qualified to cast a regular ballot" to sign an affidavit.
In Missouri, polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. To locate your polling place, visit the Secretary of State's website. For more on what's on the ballot this election, see our guide.
