MISSOURI, USA — Who voters cast their ballot for in the election last week is private, but is a resident's voting history public information?
5 On Your Side already verified that this is true in Illinois, but is the information public record in Missouri?
We dug into the facts to VERIFY.
The question:
Is it true whether you voted or not is public information?
Our sources:
- Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft
- The National Conference of State Legislatures
The answer:
Yes, voting history is public information in the state of Missouri.
What we found:
Secretary Ashcroft said anyone can contact his office and get voter data on every registered voter in the state for $35. So what personal information comes with it?
"Name. Address. Your precinct," Ashcroft told 5 On Your Side. "You know where your polling place is, and then, whether you've participated in elections throughout history."
However, a difference between Illinois and Missouri is how long the information takes to update. Local election authorities have three months to report voter participation to the secretary of state's office after an election takes place. That means voting information from the 2024 general election won't be widely available at the state level until February.
There is an option to get information faster, but that comes with contacting local election authorities, some of which may charge a fee for the information.
We can VERIFY: Voting history is public information in the state of Missouri.
VERIFY
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