Can I vote by mail in my state?

Eight states plus D.C. mail every registered voter a ballot automatically. Twenty-nine states let any voter request a mail ballot with no excuse. Thirteen states require a qualifying reason such as travel, illness, disability, or age. Enter your ZIP code at ballotbymail.org for your state's rule and deadlines.

When is the deadline to request a mail ballot for the November 3, 2026 election?

It varies by state, from three weeks before Election Day to the day before. Most fall between October 19 and October 30, 2026. Request deadlines are 'received by,' not postmarked.

Did the federal government ban mail-in voting?

No. Whether you can vote by mail is set by your state. A 2026 executive order changed how the Postal Service handles mail ballots and is being litigated. Request early and return by drop box or in person where available.

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Ballot by Mail
ballotbymail.org · nonpartisan

November 3, 2026 general election

Voting by mail in Missouri

Only with a qualifying reason. You need an approved reason, such as travel, illness or disability, age, or work. Check your state's list. If you don't qualify, early in-person voting is usually an option. Reasons to vote absentee: away from your jurisdiction, illness or disability (including caring for someone), religious practice, working the election, first responder, health care worker or law enforcement, incarceration with voting rights intact, or address-confidentiality participant. No-excuse voting is available in person from Oct. 20; mailed ballots still need a reason. Send your application to your LOCAL election authority, not the Secretary of State, or it is not valid. A spouse, parent, or child can file one in person for you.

Key dates

Register to vote by	Wed, Oct 7
Mail ballot request received by	Wed, Oct 21, 5 p.m.
Early in-person voting	Tue, Oct 20 – Mon, Nov 2
Mail your ballot by	Tue, Oct 27 (USPS: allow 7 days)
Election Day	Tue, Nov 3
ID at the polls	Photo ID requested. Without one: Registered voter casts a provisional ballot; it counts if EITHER the voter returns to the polling place on Election Day with photo ID OR the local election authority finds the provisional envelope signature matches the registration record (no follow-up trip needed in that case).
Return rule	Received by close of polls on Election Day.
Missed the request deadline?	Voters who after 5 p.m. Oct. 21 become hospitalized or confined by illness or injury, or are in a care or nursing facility on Election Day, in the county: by Tue, Nov 3.
Who can return it for you	Only certain people may return it for you. A mailed ballot may be returned only by you in person, by a relative within the second degree (spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, and in-laws) in person, by mail or registered carrier, or by a team of election officials. Drop boxes are prohibited by law.

Steps

Check the excuse list on your state's site. Common ones: away on Election Day, illness or disability, 65 or older, work hours.
If you qualify, request now and include the reason exactly as the form asks.
If you don't qualify, look up early in-person voting. It's available in most excuse states.
When your ballot arrives, fill it out in blue or black ink and sign the envelope.
Return it the way your state requires and track it until it shows received.

Don't get rejected

Extra step in your state: a notary must sign the envelope, unless you are voting absentee because of illness or a permanent disability, or you care for someone who is. Being 65 or older is not an exemption. Check the form. This is the #1 reason ballots get tossed where it applies.
Registered by mail and never voted in person? Include a copy of your photo ID with the request unless you sent one at registration. The ID and notary rules don't apply to overseas voters, active-duty military and their families, or permanently disabled voters and their caregivers.
Sign the envelope. An unsigned envelope is the most common fixable mistake.
Use the secrecy sleeve if one is included, then the return envelope. Don't tape anything.

Official election office
https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/howtovote

Track your ballot
https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/localelectionauthority

This page, with live updates
ballotbymail.org/state/mo

Trouble voting? 866-OUR-VOTE (English) · 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Español) · 888-API-VOTE (Asian languages) · 844-YALLA-US (العربية)

Spot something wrong? We check every report against the state's own page and fix errors as soon as they're reported: fix@ballotbymail.org or ballotbymail.org/report

Scan for the live versionballotbymail.org/state/mo — updated daily, with the latest deadlines and any changes to this state's official page.

Rules checked 2026-09-09; deadlines checked 2026-09-09. Sources: NCSL, Vote.org, CEIR, state election offices. The official site wins if anything differs. Free to copy and post.