Frequently Asked Questions

Questions

1. Who may register to vote?
2. What are the residency requirements?
3. What are the registration deadlines?
4. Where do I register to vote?
5. What if my address or name has changed?
6. How do I cancel my registration?
7. When do I vote?
8. Where do I vote?
9. How do I vote?
10. Do I need to register by party?
11. Can I vote before election day?
12. Are there voting services for elderly and disabled voters?
13. Who are my elected officials?
14. What district am I in?

Answers

1. Who may register to vote?

You may register to vote in Boone County if you are:

• At least 17 1/2 years old
• A citizen of the United States
• A resident of Boone County

You may not register to vote if you have been declared incapacitated by a court and have lost your right to vote.

2. What are the residency requirements?

Missouri has no prior residency requirement to register to vote, but you must be registered by the 4th Wednesday prior to an election in order to vote in that election.

3. What are the registration deadlines?

Please see the Current Missouri Election Calendar for deadlines.

4. Where do I register to vote?

Online

• Fill out your Voter Registration Application online.

By Mail

• You can fill out, print, sign, and mail the Missouri Voter Registration Application.
• Postcard Registration Forms are available throughout Boone County; visit our Voter Registration Locations page or call 886-4375 for the location nearest you.

In Person

• Visit our office in the Boone County Government Center (9th & Ash in downtown Columbia) during office hours (8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday)

For more information call:

• Voter Registration Office (573) 886-4375
• Voter Information Hotline (573) 875-8683
• TDD for Hearing Impaired Voters (573) 886-4388

5. What if my address or name has changed?

If you have moved recently, make sure your voter registration record is correct and up-to-date.

Please use our online form to change your address or name; or

Fill out a new Missouri Voter Registration Application, sign it, and mail to the address below; or

Mail the following information to the address below:

• Name
• Old address
• New address
• Mailing address (if different)
• Date of birth
• Telephone number (optional)
• Signature
• Last 4 digits of Social Security Number

Mail to:
Boone County Clerk
801 E. Walnut St. Rm. 236
Columbia, MO 65201-7731

6. How do I cancel my registration?

If you no longer reside in Boone County, you can fill out a request for removal form from the Boone County voter roll online or print and return this form.

7. When do I vote?

Please see the Current Missouri Election Calendar.

Elections may be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of the following months: February, April, June, August, November.

• April is the annual School and Municipal Election Day
• August is the Primary Election Day in even numbered years
• November is the General Election Day in even numbered years
• All other days are unscheduled Special Election Days. The County Clerk’s Office will know 10 weeks in advance if an election has been called for a particular date.

Polls are open from 6 AM to 7 PM on election days.

8. Where do I vote?

You can look up your polling location online. A central polling location for all registered voters is always available on Election Day at the Boone County Government Center at the corner of 9th and Ash in downtown Columbia.

The County Clerk's office also mails and emails a sample ballot and polling place notice before each election.

If you do not receive your sample ballot and polling place notice, there may be a problem with your mailing address on our file. Please check and, if necessary, update your address.

The list of precincts and polling places is listed in each newspaper in Boone County during the week before each election, along with a sample ballot of those candidates and/or issues to be voted on at the election.

9. How do I vote?

Be sure you're registered to vote by checking your voter registration record. If you've moved or changed your name, be sure to update your record with the Clerk's office.

Next, check your polling place and make sure you have a valid ID to take with you.

Missouri Voter Identification Requirements

To vote in person, you need to present one of the following forms of ID:

• A Missouri Driver license that is not expired;
• A Missouri Nondriver's license that is not expired or does not have an expiration date;
• A U.S. Passport that is not expired;
• A Military ID that is not expired or does not have an expiration date; or,
• A document issued by the United States or state of Missouri that includes your photograph and name that matches your voter registration record. (This document must not be expired or, if it is expired, it expired after the date of the most recent general election).

If you do not have one of the IDs above, you can still vote by casting a blue provisional ballot, which will be counted if you come back to your polling location before the close of polls on Election Day with your ID or if your signature matches the signature on file on the voter registration record.

Voter ID Assistance

The Secretary of State will assist you getting a valid Missouri nondrivers license and cover the cost of any documents that are required to get the ID.

You can get this assistance at:

• Missouri Secretary of State's Show It 2 Vote Online Help Request; or
• Call the Show It 2 Vote Hotline: (866) 868-3245; or
• Email ShowIt2Vote@sos.mo.gov

Read the sample ballot published in the newspaper before you go to vote. This way you will not be surprised by anything you see on the ballot when you enter the voting booth.

For more information call:

• Voter Registration Office (573) 886-4375
• Voter Information Hotline (573) 875-8683
• TDD for Hearing Impaired Voters (573) 886-4388

10. Do I need to register by party?

Missouri does not register voters by political party so you will not be asked about any party affiliation when you register. However, you must choose a party ballot from the election workers when you vote at a Primary Election or choose a "nonpartisan" ballot that lists only issues, not candidates. You do not have to choose the same party ballot at subsequent Primaries.

11. Can I vote before election day?

Voting in Person

Any registered voter can vote in person at the Boone County Clerk’s Office from the second Tuesday before Election Day until 5:00 p.m. on the day before the election. This is known as no-excuse absentee voting.

From the sixth Tuesday before Election Day until the second Tuesday before Election Day, eligible voters can cast an absentee ballot at the Boone County Clerk’s Office if they can’t make it to their polling place due to:

• Absence from Boone County on Election Day;
• Employment as an election judge, first responder, health care worker, or member of law enforcement;
• Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability on election day, including a person who is primarily responsible for the physical care of a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or disability and resides at the same address;
• Religious belief or practice;
• Incarceration - if you have retained all other voting qualifications under Missouri law;
• participation in Missouri's Safe at Home program. Voting By Mail

Voting by Mail

Absentee voting begins six weeks before every election and is available to any registered Boone County voter that will be unable to make it to their polling place on Election Day due to:

• Absence from Boone County on Election Day;
• Employment as an election judge, first responder, health care worker, or member of law enforcement;
• Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability on election day, including a person who is primarily responsible for the physical care of a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or disability and resides at the same address;
• Religious belief or practice;
• Incarceration - if you have retained all other voting qualifications under Missouri law;
• participation in Missouri's Safe at Home program.

Voters that vote absentee due to incapacity or confinement due to illness or injury do not need their ballot envelopes notarized. All other absentee ballot envelopes must be notarized.

You can apply for a mail absentee ballot online or print, sign, and return a PDF application by mail to 801 E. Walnut, Room 236, Columbia MO 65201, by email to absentee@boonecountymo.org , or by fax to (573) 886-4300.

If you have a permanent disability, you can automatically receive an application for absentee ballot for every election by printing, signing, and returning a PDF application by mail to 801 E. Walnut, Room 236, Columbia MO 65201, by email to absentee@boonecountymo.org, or by fax to (573) 886-4300.

12. Are there voting services for elderly and disabled voters?

You may register to vote online, by mail or request that deputy registrars register you at home.

If a polling place is inaccessible to a disabled voter, they and members of their household may request transfer to a barrier-free poll. Contact the office before Election Day if you need this service so the appropriate ballot will be available at the new polling place.

Absentee voting in the Elections Office is an option or you may request to have your name added to the permanent absentee application list. Once on the list, you will be sent an application for each election day in the year. You will need to return a completed application for each election in which you wish to vote.

If a voter is blind, they may have a person of their choosing accompany them to help vote their ballot. A bipartisan team of election workers may read the ballot to a voter and mark the ballot at the voter’s direction.

Voting supplies may be brought to a voter at their car if they are unable to get inside their polling place.

13. Who are my elected officials?

Please see the list of elected officials.

14. What district am I in?

Please look up your record to see your precinct information or use our interactive map viewer.