Missouri voting guide: What to know about the 2022 election

KCUR | By Roxie Hammill

Published August 1, 2022 at 5:36 PM CDT

Missouri's primary election is August 2, 2022.

Missouri’s August 2 primary is just about here. Time to get things lined up so you know if you can vote, where you can vote, and what you’ll be voting on when Election Day rolls around.

Missourians have some high-profile races coming up, with a long list of candidates for each party. In Missouri, the primary is open, meaning you do not need to show a party registration to vote for a candidate. You will, however, have to choose which party’s ballot you want.

The lists are long. There are 21 Republican candidates and 11 Democrats vying for the right to represent their party in the November general election for U.S. Senate. Congressional races in the area also have multiple candidates to choose from.

KCUR assembled a guide to help you navigate Missouri's 2022 election, including information on how to vote, and a brief rundown of what to expect on your ballot.

Key dates:

~~Absentee voting period begins for primary:~~ ~~June 21, 2022~~
~~Voter registration deadline for primary~~~~: July 6, 2022~~
Absentee voting ends: Aug. 1, 2022
Primary election: Aug. 2, 2022
Voter registration deadline for general: Oct. 12, 2022
General election: Nov. 8, 2022

Voter information

Am I registered to vote?

In Missouri, you must be 17-and-a-half years old to register and 18 to vote. You must also be a Missouri resident and a United States citizen.

The deadline to register to vote before Missouri’s primary election was July 6, 2022. But there's still time to register before the November general election! That deadline is Oct. 12, 2022.

Not sure whether you’re already registered? This page at the Secretary of State website can help you find out.

Otherwise you can register the following ways:

Online here
Print and mail an application. Forms here
In person at the county clerk’s office (find where that is here)
Request an application be mailed to you. Must be postmarked by the registration deadline.

Can I vote absentee if I’m not able to on Election Day?

Absentee voting is available in Missouri, but there are eligibility and notary requirements.

You can vote absentee if you expect to be away from your voting jurisdiction on Election Day, if you have a physical disability, for religious beliefs, if you are an election worker away from your own polling place, if you are incarcerated, or if you are a certified participant in an address confidentiality program. The request must be made at your local election office.

Absentee applications must be mailed or faxed in enough time to arrive at the election office by the second Wednesday before an election. For Missouri’s primary, that deadline was July 20, 2022.

In-person absentee voting at your local election office started on June 21, 2022. It’s available until 5 p.m. the day before the election.

Kenneth Ford, with Freedom Inc., encourages people vote early Tuesday morning at the intersection of Swope Parkway and Prospect Avenue. Ford and a small group of volunteers were moving from location to location throughout the city to spread the message.

How do I vote in-person?

In person polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, August 2. If you are in line at the closing time, you still have a right to cast a ballot –stay in line!

Your polling place is determined by where you live, but may have changed since the last time you voted. Locate your polling location here.

Need more accessible voting? Arrangements are available for those with mobility issues and disabilities, including audio ballots, enlarged text. There’s also an option to request a different polling place if yours is not accessible, or to sign up for permanent absentee voting.

According to the Missouri Secretary of State’s website, polling places will also offer curbside voting: “Voters with limited mobility can vote ‘curbside’ or outside the polling place. Just go to your polling place and ask someone to go in and ask poll workers to bring a ballot out to you. They should bring you a ballot within a reasonable period of time.”

Do I need voter ID?

Yes. For the August 2 primary, you don’t need a photo ID to vote. One of the following forms of identification is considered acceptable:

ID issued by the state of Missouri, a state agency or local election authority
ID issued by the federal government
ID from a Missouri college, university, vocational or tech school
A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check or government document with your name and address.

Voter ID requirements will change in Missouri starting with the November general election, because of a recently signed-law that requires photo ID. That law also repeals the mail as an option for delivering ballots. But the changes don’t go into effect until Aug. 28, 2022, and will not affect the primary.

Starting this fall, acceptable photo identification will include a non-expired Missouri driver’s license or state ID, non-expired passports, and photo military IDs. You can get a photo ID for free, at the Missouri Department of Revenue or by calling 573-526-VOTE (8683).

If you don’t have the required ID, you can still fill out a provisional ballot. However, you’ll need to take action to make sure your vote is counted – your provisional ballot will include a stub telling you how to verify your identification.

You can do so by returning to your polling place on Election Day with an accepted photo ID, or if local election officials determine that your signature matches the one on your voter registration record.

What am I voting on?

In the August primary, Missouri voters will pick their candidates for a few statewide races and a whole lot of local ones – including the state legislature, plus county and city contests.

Here’s a list of the primary contests for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order, and campaign websites are included where they could be found.

Find your full sample ballot here.

U.S Senate

A flood of candidates filed for Missouri’s U.S. Senate races after Republican Sen. Roy Blunt, who was first elected in 2010, announced last year he would not seek re-election.

With the balance of the U.S. Senate at stake this year, expect a lot of attention on who wins Missouri’s primaries.

Republicans

Robert Allen, Chesterfield
Russell Pealer Breyfogle Jr., Columbia
Dennis Lee Chilton, Springfield
C. W. Gardner, St. Louis
Eric Greitens, Chesterfield
Vicky Hartzler, Harrisonville
Rickey Joiner, Florissant
Patrick A. Lewis, Wellsville
Billy Long, Springfield
Mark McCloskey, St. Louis
Eric McElroy, Tunas
Darrell Leon McClanahan III , Schell City
Bernie Mowinski, Sunrise Beach
Robert Olson, Springfield
Deshon Porter, St. Louis
Dave Schatz, Sullivan
Kevin C. Schepers, Fenton
Eric Schmitt, Kirkwood
Dave Sims, Kansas City
Hartford Tunnell, Carthage
Curtis D. Vaughn, Springfield

Democrats

Ronald (Ron) William Harris, Kansas City
Jewel Kelly, Festus
Pat Kelly, St. Louis
Lucas Kunce, Independence
Lewis Rolen, St. Louis
Gena Ross, Platte City
Josh Shipp, St. Louis
Spencer Toder, St. Louis
Clarence (Clay) Taylor, St. Louis
Trudy Busch Valentine, Clayton
Carla Coffee Wright, St. Louis

U.S. House of Representatives

Members of the U.S. House are re-elected every two years, so every representative in Missouri is on the ballot this year. However, not all primaries are competitive.

Another thing to note: Your congressional district might be different this year than it was before. Following the 2020 census, the Missouri General Assembly approved a redistricting plan that creates new congressional maps, rearranging the boundaries of House districts.

Check the Secretary of State’s website to find out which congressional district you’re voting in.

Here's a rundown of Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians running in the primaries for each U.S. House race.