Military and overseas voters
Missouri has special rules for voters in the military and voters who live overseas.[1]
Who this is for
- Members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force or Coast Guard on active duty.[2]
- Members of the Merchant Marine, and of the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service or NOAA.[2]
- National Guard members on activated status.[2]
- Their spouses and dependents.[2]
- U.S. citizens who live outside the United States and were last eligible to vote in Missouri.[2]
Register and ask for a ballot
You can do both at the same time:[1]
- Use Missouri's Military and Overseas Voting Access Portal.[1]
- Or fill out a Federal Post Card Application and mail it to your election board: the St. Louis County Board of Elections, or the City's Board of Election Commissioners if you vote in the City of St. Louis.[1][10]
By law, your election board sends ballots at least 45 days before the election to voters who have asked by then.[3] If your request comes in later, your election board sends your ballot within two business days.[3] You can ask to get your ballot by email or fax.[3]
The City Board asks you to send a new Federal Post Card Application each January and each time you move.[10] City voters can call the City Board's absentee office at 314-622-3230.[10]
If you missed the registration deadline
Active members of the armed forces and their dependents can still vote for federal offices.[1] Use the portal or the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot.[1]
State law goes further. A military or overseas voter who is eligible but not registered can vote for federal, statewide and state legislative offices and statewide ballot initiatives.[8] Send a Federal Post Card Application to ask for an absentee ballot, or turn one in at your election board on Election Day.[8]
If you were discharged, came home from deployment, or left a job overseas after the deadline, you can register in person at your election board.[7] Do it by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026.[7] Bring papers that show you qualify.[7]
Send your ballot back
- Most voters return their ballot by mail.[1] There is no postage if you mail it from an APO or FPO, a U.S. embassy or consulate, or a U.S. post office, using the prepaid return envelope.[1]
- If you are in a combat zone or another hostile fire or imminent danger area, you can also return it by fax, email or the portal.[1] For the City Board, email stlcityabsentee@stlouis-mo.gov or fax 314-622-3378, attention Absentee.[10]
- You do not need a notary.[6]
Deadline
Send your ballot by 12:01 a.m. on Election Day, November 3, where you are.[4] That is just after midnight, at the very start of Election Day.[4] Your election board must receive it by noon on Friday, November 6, 2026.[5][1] A ballot that arrives at your election board by 7 p.m. on Election Day also counts.[4]
Track your ballot
You can track your ballot in the Military and Overseas Voting Access Portal.[1] You can also call the Secretary of State's office at 866-868-3245.[1]
Standing requests
If you give an email address, you can ask to get ballots by email for every election through December 31 of the next year.[9]
Sources
- Missouri Secretary of State, Military and Overseas Voting
- Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 115.902 (who is a military or overseas voter)
- Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 115.914 (when ballots are sent)
- Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 115.916 (ballot deadline)
- Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 115.920 (when late-arriving ballots count)
- Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 115.283 (absentee ballot statements and notaries)
- Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 115.135 (registration deadline)
- Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 115.277 (who may vote absentee)
- Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 115.926 (email and standing requests)
- St. Louis City Board of Election Commissioners, Vote from Overseas
Last checked against these sources on October 21, 2026.