Military & Overseas

Per RSMo § 115.926 (2): A covered voter who provides an electronic mail address may request that the voter’s application for a military-overseas ballot be considered a standing request for electronic delivery of a ballot for all elections held through December thirty-first of the year following the calendar year of the date of the application or another short period the voter specifies.

Qualifications for a Military-Overseas Voter (Covered Voters)

1. A uniformed services voter who is registered to vote in this state;

a) Active and reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard of the United States

b) A member of the Merchant Marine, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, or the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States

c) A member on activated status of the National Guard

d) A spouse or dependent of a member mentioned above

2. A uniformed services voter whose voting residence is in this state and who otherwise satisfies this state’s voter eligibility requirements;

3. An overseas voter;

a) A person who resides outside the United States and is qualified to vote in the last place in which the person was domiciled before leaving the United States

b) A person who resides outside the United States and, but for such residence, would be qualified to vote in the last place in which the person was domiciled before leaving the United States

4. Civilian employees of the United States government working outside the boundaries of the United States, and their spouses and dependents;

5. Active members of religious or welfare organizations assisting servicemen, and their spouses and dependents;

6. Persons who have been honorably discharged from the Armed Forces or who have terminated their service of employment in any group mentioned above within sixty days of an election, and their spouses and dependents.

Deadlines

1. If you have a current application on file, military-overseas ballots and materials are sent to the voter 46 days prior to the election. Any applications for an absentee ballot received after the 46 days, will be processed and transmitted no later than two business days after the application arrives. Last day an absentee ballot may be issued to a voter is 5:00 p.m. the Friday prior to an election.

2. Eligible “covered voters” can submit an application/registration for an absentee ballot up until 5:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the election. (Section 115.912, RSMo).

3. Last day to register, and receive a full ballot is the fourth Wednesday prior to an election.

4. Individuals who have returned from military deployment or terminated employment outside the U.S. after the normal registration deadline, may register, in person with proper documentation, up to the Friday before an election to receive a full ballot.

5. Any covered voter not previously registered by 5:00 p.m. on Friday prior to the election can only vote by submitting an FPCA in-person at our office on Election Day. Office hours are 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. These voters will be entitled to vote only on: federal offices, statewide offices, state legislative offices, and statewide ballot initiatives.

6. Deadline to return an absentee ballot: All military-overseas absentee ballots need to be mailed by 12:01 a.m. election day. The ballot must be received by our office by noon on the Friday after Election Day. Any ballots that qualify to be electronically transmitted need to be received by 7:00 p.m. election night.