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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Aug. 2 primary election is six weeks away, and that means absentee voting is open in Missouri.

If you already know you won’t be able to make it to the polls in August, Missouri allows absentee voting, starting June 21, in person or by mail.

The state says residents can vote absentee if they:

  • Will be absent from your voting jurisdiction on Election Day.
  • Are incapacitated or confined due to illness or physical disability, or caring for an incapacitated person.
  • Are restricted by religious belief or practice.
  • Are employed by an election authority.
  • Are incarcerated, but have retained all your voting qualification.
  • Are a participant in the Missouri SAFE at home program.

You don’t need to submit an application to vote absentee in person, but you do need to bring acceptable ID needed to vote. Most in-person absentee voting is done at your local election board or county clerk’s office and must be completed by 5 p.m. the night before the election.

Those who want to vote absentee by mail can request the application for a ballot by calling or writing to their local election board. Many election boards also have a copy of the application on their website to download. Ballots should be mailed within a few days.

Don’t delay in getting your ballot request sent in. They must be received no later than the 5 p.m. on the second Wednesday prior to the election, July 20.

And if you vote absentee by mail, Missouri requires that all ballots must be notarized (except those submitted by an incapacitated or confined voter), signed and received by the election board by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee ballots received after that won’t be counted.

Find more information on absentee voting in your county at the following websites:

Register to vote or check your registration status on the Missouri secretary of state’s website. The deadline to register in Missouri before the primary election is July 6.