Ashcroft encourages in-person voting, details methods available to cast ballots

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft hosted an event Thursday with Cape Girardeau Mayor Bob Fox to reassure people of the safety of in-person voting and encourage it, and to inform the public about all their voting options for the upcoming general election in November.

“We want people to vote in-person because that’s the best way for us to know that it will not only be easy and safe for you to vote, but for your vote to count,” Ashcroft said.

Ashcroft did a majority of the speaking to review each method of voting and answer questions from the media.

According to information provided at the meeting that can be found at www.sos.mo.gov on the “Elections and Voting” page, there are four ways for registered Missouri voters to cast their ballots — in-person voting, absentee voting in-person or by mail and mail-in voting.

States that have not previously had a mail-in voting option have adapted it for this year’s general election due to concerns of in-person voting spreading the coronavirus. The virus has been attributed to more than 200,000 deaths nationwide since March.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft holds up a flyer that will be sent to households of registered voters informing them of their voting options, Thursday at City Hall in Cape Girardeau.Sarah Yenesel

Last week, Ashcroft secured 25,000 face masks to be delivered to local election authorities throughout Missouri to ensure the safety of in-person voting during the general election. A news release from his office states a Cape Girardeau business, Patriot Medical Devices LLC, is supplying the three-ply disposable face masks, manufactured in Missouri with American-made materials.

Ashcroft further stated voting in-person is the “most secure” option because through this method, voters don’t have to worry about whether the post office has delivered their ballot on time or getting their ballot notarized.

A recent report from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch states there are currently three lawsuits against Missouri challenging the notary requirement, to therefore make it easier to vote by mail.

“I think it’s far better to either vote in-person or do absentee in-person or absentee ballots, but the law says that if you want to do mail-in, you may, and we’re going to make sure that if someone uses the mail-in ballot, they can,” Ashcroft said.

Ashcroft stressed the importance of sending mail-in and absentee ballots sooner than later.

“Do not listen to what the post office has said about it only taking six to seven days. Most mail only takes six to seven days, but we don’t want your ballot to be the one piece of mail that takes more,” Ashcroft said. He suggested voters should expect the process to take at least two weeks.

The Cape Girardeau County Commission authorized a ballot-status tracker website at their Sept. 14 meeting that can tell a voter whether their ballot was sent or received. Supervisor of Elections Allen Seabaugh said on Thursday the website is still in development and could be finished as early as today.

Ashcroft said that right now, he expects to have a majority of votes counted on election night, most likely enough to call winners if the race is not close.

Voting options

Polling places will be open between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Nov. 3. If voters are in line at 7 p.m., they have the right to cast their vote. Voters need an acceptable form of voter I.D. to cast a ballot. The Missouri Secretary of State’s Office says it has supplied polling places with sanitization options, floor distancing strips, face masks, face shields and other items.

Cape Girardeau County residents may vote early in two locations — the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau and inside the county government Administrative Building in Jackson — which will remain open for any registered voter in the county to vote before Election Day.

The early voting locations in Cape Girardeau and Jackson will be open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays through Nov. 2 and also from 8 a.m. until noon Oct. 31, the Saturday before the general election. The early voting locations will also serve as “central polling sites” Nov. 3, in addition to all other polling locations throughout the county.

Absentee voting may be done in-person or by mail. Registered voters can visit their local election authority through Nov. 2 to complete an absentee application from the county clerk’s office or download one from www.sos.mo.gov and send it by mail, email or fax to their local election authority. Once it is received, the voter will have to fill it out completely and return it in-person or by mail to the local election authority office no later than 7 p.m. Nov. 3.

Absentee voting requires notarization of ballots due to religious beliefs or practice, incarceration if the voter is still eligible, absence on Election Day from election jurisdiction, certified participation in an address confidentiality program or if the voter is working as an election worker. Notarization is not required when the voter is incapacitated or confined because of illness, having contracted coronavirus or at risk in 2020 because of their age being 65 years or older, living in a long-term care facility, having chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma, a serious heart condition, are immunocompromised, have diabetes, chronic kidney disease and undergoing dialysis or liver disease.

Some notaries will charge for their service, but there is a list of free notaries at www.sos.mo.gov/elections/MailinNotary. There are four notaries on this list in Cape Girardeau County.

To complete a mail-in ballot, a registered voter must request this method in-person at their local election authority office or send a request by mail. The application must be received no later than Oct. 21. All mail-in ballots must be notarized. Once the ballot is received by the voter and is completed, it must be returned by U.S. mail only and received by the local election authority no later than 7 p.m. Nov. 3.

The last date to register to vote in Missouri is Oct. 7, and a citizen may register with an online application, mail-in application or in-person at the county clerk’s office.

Ashcroft said voters may call (800) NOW-VOTE if they have any questions about how to vote. Voters may also call the Cape Girardeau County Clerk’s Office at (573) 243-3547 or visit www.capecountyelections.com to get answers to their voting questions.