ST. LOUIS — On Nov. 8, Missouri voters will head to the polls to decide on candidates and issues for the 2022 midterm election.
The last day to register to vote is Oct. 12, but what happens if you moved within the state between the registration deadline and Election Day? Will you still be able to vote?
THE QUESTION
What should you do about your voter registration if you move to a different county in Missouri?
THE SOURCES
- Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.
- Eric Fey, St. Louis County democratic director of elections.
- Rick Stream, St. Louis County republican director of elections.
- Kurt Bahr, St. Charles County director of election authority.
THE ANSWER
Under the new Missouri election laws, previously registered voters who move to a new county can update their address anytime leading up to an election.
WHAT WE FOUND
After the primary election in August, some viewers said they were turned away at the polls because they didn’t update their new address by the deadline. The deadline was four Wednesdays before the election.
But Missouri election laws changed as of Aug. 28. Under the new law, if a registered voter moves to a new county or election jurisdiction, that deadline no longer applies.
A registered voter who moves to a new county can now update their address online, by mail, at the DMV, county clerk’s office or county election headquarters at any time leading up to an election. However, there is one caveat. If it is Election Day, the registered resident may only update their address at the county election headquarters.
It is important to note that the deadline was only erased for registered voters.
People who are registering to vote for the first time must still do so four Wednesdays before the election in order to vote. For the upcoming general election on Nov. 8, the deadline for new voters to register is Oct. 12.
Under a Missouri new voter ID law, you are also required to show a driver's license or government-issued ID with your photo and address on it. Your driver's license should have an expiration date since the last election, which was Nov. 3, 2020. If you moved and your ID still has your old address on it, you're OK if you live in the same voting jurisdiction as your old address, but you need a new ID otherwise. If your ID is current but your address has changed, you would need to either register your change of address online prior to election day or register the new address in person with the county election authority on election day.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story inaccurately described the identification required to vote in Missouri. It has been corrected.
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