-
Are confined due to illness or physical disability (or care for someone in
your house who is)
- Expect to be absent on Election Day
- Are an election worker, first responder, or healthcare worker
- Are prevented by religious belief from going to the polls on election day
- Are incarcerated but haven't lost right to vote
- Are an active-duty military personnel (or a close family members living with them) or a Missouri citizen living outside the U.S
There is also a two-week period of no excuse in-person absentee voting, but it is usually only at the Board of Election Commissioners office. This year it was expanded to 14 locations in the metropolitan area. This option was so popular some people I know waited at a polling place an hour or more for the privilege of casting their ballot early.
That seemed crazy to me, and I decided that my plan would be to wait until Voting Day when there would be substantially more polling places (and hopefully shorter lines). Because voters can choose any polling place in the county, this morning after a chiropractor appointment I pulled up a wait time tracking website and found that the five locations closest to his office had somewhere between zero and six people in line. I headed towards the most convenient one.
The polling place was in a high school gym. It was well organized, with a line up indicator that wound around two sides of the room. However, there was no one in line and I was able to move immediately to a station. The worker scanned my ID, which told him which ballot I needed. After I had my ballot another worker directed me to a seat.
I pulled out my pre-filled sample ballot and got down to the task. Filling out all the bubbles was the hardest part. In addition to the national and state races, there were a half dozen state amendments/propositions, three county propositions, and two local ones. Including votes for a couple dozen judges that were up for retention, that was a lot of marking!
After I submitted my ballot I chose a sticker from the selection at the machine. The poll worker thanked me for coming in.
Five years ago today: Adventures In Selling And Buying
That was cool! I thought from watching the news that Missouri had like 4 placed to vote in Jackson County ahead of Election Day. Kansas folks can go to around any one of 10 or so in Johnson County before Election Day, which had no one in line. If we wait until Election Day, we have to go to our own single location, but I didn't see any big car traffic today. Interesting how Missouri lets you go to any location. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteI have no idea how widespread the any polling place feature is, but it's really nice.
DeleteVery good Kathy!
ReplyDeleteWe have to vote by mail here.
ReplyDeleteI believe that's what our children in California also do.
DeleteCalifornia probably has the premiere voting situation. Every registered voter receives their ballot in the mail. If you are signed up for it, you will receive an email when your ballot is sent, when it's received back, and when it's been counted. You have many choices as to how you vote. Send the ballot back in the mail. Take it to the Clerk's office. Return it to a drop box indoor neighborhood. Go the polls on Election Day and turn it in, or if you made a mistake, like Terry did, go to the polling place and reregister, get a new ballot, and turn it in right there where they will show you, on a screen, that your ballot was received and counted. There is no way you can vote twice.
Delete"Expect to be absent on Election Day" Plan to be out of town that day.
ReplyDeletePlan to plan to be out of town :-)
DeleteEach country's voting rituals and regulations are different and confusing. I hope the voter turn-out was high. Shame about the result, though.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the confusing part.
DeleteGod bless.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteI voted in person but early. I found filling out the bubbles properly was a little difficult, but the print was so small it was hard for me to read. That was the most difficult part for me.
ReplyDeleteMy ballot was on a very long piece of paper (even longer than legal size), which helped.
DeleteWe voted early and so glad we did. I wish the voting system was made easier for our military men and women..Kinda difficult to vote when you are registered in one state and just before election are relocated to another state.
ReplyDeleteI second your opinion about the military voting procedures.
DeleteI'm angry, disgusted and distraught about the Election results, IMO America fell from within Today.
ReplyDeleteI am praying that the country can find a way to come togetherl.
DeleteI went to the courthouse this election to vote early instead of voting yesterday. figured it would be easier for me. this must go by county in Missouri as I have only one polling place to go to on election day and for early voting just the court house at the county clerks office. I did get a mail in ballot for my husband do his not being able to walk well still from his fall a year ago
ReplyDeleteI am hoping the news media stops their lies and we can all come together as one nation I doubt the news will stop their lies though sad
I found out that the county just to the south of us requires voters to head to a specific place, so I suspect St. Louis County invested in some type of software to make any polling location possible.
DeleteGood for you for voting!
ReplyDeleteLuckily, Hawaii has an easier time voting by mail. This morning, we are in shock and totally disgusted.
ReplyDeleteIn Nevada I was able to vote by mail.
ReplyDeleteI voted the first day of early voting - about 3 weeks ago. Easy peasy. My first time voting early. I’m happy this election is over. Everyone needs time to process it all. It was stressful.
ReplyDeleteI like the I voted sticker. I am seeing that a few states are making them a little more exciting than what we had in the past. In Idaho, it is still pretty generic.
ReplyDeleteI had several stickers to choose from.
DeleteHey, I heard you might have my Beacon of Positivity, I might need it back? *Winks and Smiles*
ReplyDeleteLet me know when you're ready :-)
DeleteI loved the I voted sticker.
ReplyDelete