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Provisional ballots

A provisional ballot lets you vote when there is a question about your ID or your registration.[1][2] Your ballot goes in a sealed envelope.[1] It is counted after the county board checks that you can vote.[1]

When you might vote a provisional ballot

  • You do not have a photo ID from the list.[2] See What ID to bring.
  • Your name is not in the poll book, and the election judges cannot confirm that you are registered.[1][4]

The election judges first try to find out if you are registered, so you can vote a regular ballot.[4]

How it works

  1. You fill out the form on the provisional ballot envelope.[2] It asks for your name, address, date of birth and the last four digits of your Social Security number.[2][1]
  2. You mark your ballot and seal it in the envelope.[1]
  3. You get a stub from the envelope with steps to check on your ballot.[3]

When it counts

If you voted provisionally because you had no photo ID, your ballot counts if:[2]

  • You come back to your polling place by 7 p.m. on Election Day with a photo ID from the list. If you voted absentee in person, you go back to the election office by 7 p.m. instead.[2]
  • Or the county board finds that the signature on your envelope matches the one on your voter record.[2][3]

Any provisional ballot counts only if the county board finds that you are registered and eligible to vote in this election.[1]

Vote at the right polling place

A provisional ballot cast at the wrong polling place is not counted.[1] If the election judges find you are at the wrong place, they tell you where to go.[1] You can go to your correct polling place or a central polling place.[1][4]

Find out if your ballot counted

The state has a free way to learn if your ballot counted, and why not if it did not.[1] Your stub tells you how to check.[3] For a provisional ballot cast without a photo ID, call 866-868-3245 toll free and give the PIN on your stub.[5] Wait 14 days after the election before you call.[5]

If you were not registered, your envelope can be used to register you for future elections.[1]

Sources

  1. Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 115.430 (provisional ballots)
  2. Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 115.427 (photo ID)
  3. Missouri Secretary of State, Voter ID
  4. Missouri Secretary of State, Other Voting Questions
  5. Missouri Secretary of State, Acceptable forms of voter ID (PDF)

Last checked against these sources on October 21, 2026.