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Applications must be received or postmarked by the 4th Wednesday prior to Election Day.
Voter registration drives turning in applications they collect must submit completed application forms within seven days of receipt.
Training Requirement: Missouri does not require training for registration drives. Local election authorities do provide optional training.
Notification and Registration Requirements: Any person who is paid or is otherwise compensated for collecting more than 10 voter registration applications in a general election cycle must complete the Voter Registration Solicitor Form and submit it to the Secretary of State’s office. Any paid registration solicitor must be at least 18 years of age and registered to vote in Missouri each election cycle. Volunteers who are not compensated are not required to provide any information or notification to the Missouri. Secretary of State (SOS) or other election officials about their voter registration drive activities. Failure to complete the solicitor form, for those to whom it applies, is a punishable offense.
Compensation Ban: It is illegal in Missouri to compensate any person based on number of persons registered or number of voter registration applications collected. Do not offer an applicant any incentive of monetary value to register to vote. Additional requirements exist in Missouri statute but are preliminarily enjoined and are currently the subject of ongoing litigation. Fair Elections Center cannot provide legal advice.
State Form: You may download a state mail-in voter registration application from the SOS website, but the form is county-specific so it’s not recommended for voter registration drives. Pre-printed state applications can be requested from any election authority. Requests for a large number of applications should be made to the Secretary of State’s office, 600 West Main Street, Jefferson City, Missouri, 65101, (573) 751-4936, info@sos.mo.gov.
Federal Form: The federal mail-in voter registration application may also be used in voter registration drives: eac.gov/voters/national-mail-voter-registration-form
The federal form should be mailed to the Secretary of State’s office as listed on the federal form or the voter’s local election authority. Find your local election authority here: sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/localelectionauthorit y.aspx
Photocopying Blank Forms: Blank applications may be photocopied and used in voter registration drives.
Incomplete Applications: Do not fill in any missing information on a registration form unless you have express permission from the applicant.
Photocopying Completed Applications: There is no law or rule prohibiting photocopying or retaining information from completed registration applications. As a best practice, a voter’s full or partial Social Security number and/or the driver’s license number should not be retained.
Submitting Applications: Anyone who offers to submit a completed voter registration application on another’s behalf must deliver it within seven days of accepting or receiving the application. State regulations indicate state forms must be delivered to the appropriate election authority representing the area in which the applicant resides. Failure to deliver them within seven days is a punishable misdemeanor, regardless of intent.
For more information, visit
www.fairelectionscenter.org
