9 Things to Know About Early Voting in St. Louis City

Caveat - This is completely unofficial advice and I lay no claim or guarantee to its accuracy. The information presented is from personal experience, and the STL City Board of Election Commissioners website.

1. Voting Starts October 22nd

Beginning on Tuesday, October 22nd, St. Louis City registered voters may submit a No Excuse Absentee Ballot at any one of the eight Polling Places open through Monday, November 4th. Business hours vary by location, so please check before you go.

No Excuse Absentee Polling Places (by Zip Code)

63101 - St. Louis City Election Board - 300 N Tucker Blvd
Mon-Fri: 8a to 5p
Sat, Nov 2nd only: 9a to 1p

63107 - Divoll Library - 4234 N Grand Blvd
Mon: 12n to 6p
Tue-Thu: 10:30a to 5:30p
Fri-Sat: 10:30a to 4:30p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 12n to 4p

63108 - Schlafly Library - 225 N Euclid Ave
Mon-Thu: 10a to 6p
Fri-Sat: 10a to 4:30p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 12n to 4p

63109 - Buder Library - 4401 Hampton Ave
Mon-Thu: 10a to 6p
Fri-Sat: 10a to 4:30p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 12n to 4p

63110 - Kingshighway Branch Library - 2260 S Vandeventer Ave
Mon: 12n to 6p
Tue-Thu: 10:30a to 5:30p
Fri-Sat: 10:30a to 4:30p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 12n to 4p

63113 - Wohl Center - 1515 N Kingshighway Blvd
Mon-Sat: 10a to 6p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 10a to 4p

63118 - Carpenter Branch Library - 3309 S Grand Ave
Mon-Thu: 10a to 6p
Fri-Sat: 10a to 4:30p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 12n to 4p

63120 - Walnut Park Library - 5760 W Florissant Ave
Mon: 12n to 6p
Tue-Thu: 10:30a to 5:30p
Fri-Sat: 10:30a to 4:30p
Mon, Nov 4th only: 12n to 4p

TIP - I've been told the BUDER LIBRARY location is by far the most popular. If you want to avoid waiting in line during high traffic periods, it may be wise to choose an alternate location.

 

2. You Must Bring a Valid Photo ID to Vote

Acceptable forms of ID for Voting:

• A non-expired Missouri driver or non-driver license
• A non-expired military ID, including a veteran's ID card
• A non-expired United States passport or
• Another photo ID issued by the United States or the state of Missouri which is either not expired or expired after the date of the most recent general election (Nov 8, 2022)
  

 

3. Be Mindful of What You Wear

Electioneering is prohibited within 25 feet of the outer most entrance to the polling place. This includes wearing garments with a candidate's name on it. DO NOT WEAR items with text like Wesley Bell for Congress, Trump is My President, or Vote Yes/No on a ballot measure. You will be turned away for electioneering and unable to receive your ballot until you comply.

 

4. Be Nice to the ADA Worker

Many polling places will have a person at the main entrance to open the door for voters who need assistance. This is the City's latest solution to meet ADA Polling Place requirements. Do not assume they are threatening your right to vote. They are there to assist entry.

 

5. All Ballots are Paper

If it has been a while since you've voted in the City, you may remember Polling Judges giving you the option between a paper ballot or an electronic ballot. The City has recently updated their 20+ year old polling system and now ALL BALLOTS are paper ballots. Ballots are no longer pre-printed, but are print-on-demand (making City-Wide polling very accessible).

6. The Ballots are LONG!

In addition to the major races, and votes to retain judges, there are FIVE constitutional amendments, ONE state proposition, and FOUR City propositions on the ballot. All of these are on a one-page, two-sided 8 1/2" x 20" ballot (yes, TWENTY INCHES LONG). 

7. You are Not Required to Vote for Everything

If, for whatever reason, you decide you do not want to vote on a specific race or a ballot measure, you have the right to leave that blank. When you submit your ballot, the machine will likely flag that you've left an item blank, but you are allowed to submit as-is. All items you voted on will be counted, and all items left blank will be marked as ballot received.

8. If Something Goes Wrong, Ask for Help

If you experience any glitch while submitting your ballot into the machine, ask one of the Poll Workers for help. If there is an error on your ballot (like you forgot to complete the back side, or you selected too many candidates for one race) the machine will alert you and give you the option to submit as-is.

IF YOU SUBMIT AS-IS, you have authorized your ballot to be cast with the errors. Races/Measures with errors will be marked as ballot received and not counted on that race/measure. Once you have submitted a ballot there is nothing Poll Workers can do to correct it.

 

Depending on the glitch, the Poll Managers may offer to spoil that ballot and issue you an new one. In that case, you must complete a new ballot. The Poll Managers are required to keep the spoiled ballot; you MAY NOT use the spoiled ballot for reference while filling out the new ballot.

9. Know Before You Go

To make things easier on yourself and your Poll Workers, please research how you will be voting before you go. The City has a 5-page sample ballot PDF with all races and ballot measures at:

https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/board-election-commissioners/documents/upload/Nov24-All-Races-Sample-Ballot.pdf

 

Bonus

On Election Day -- Tuesday, November 5th -- all Polling Places are City-Wide and open from 6am to 7pm. Voters may cast their ballot regardless of their registered precinct at any one of 71 Polling Places.

Happy Voting!

~Seth

# # #