Signed by Governor Mike Parson

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that authorizes mail-in voting for reasons such as illness or travel.

Highlights:

• Authorizes that for an election that occurs during the 2020 calendar year, voters who have contracted, or are in an at-risk category for contracting or transmitting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 COVID-19 to vote by absentee ballot and specifies that this act shall expire December 31, 2020 (Sec. A-115.277).

• Defines voters who are in an at-risk category for contracting or transmitting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 COVID-19 as voters who (Sec. A-115.277):

• Ae 65 years of age or older;

• Live in a long-term care facility;

• Have chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma;

• Have serious heart conditions;

• Are immunocompromised;

• Have diabetes;

• Have chronic kidney disease and are undergoing dialysis; or

• Have liver disease.

• Requires an election authority to, for elections held during 2020, adjust the forms to account for voters voting absentee due to the aforementioned reasons (Sec. A-115.283).

• Specifies that a ballot envelope used for mail-in ballots shall be the same envelopes used for absentee ballots and clearly provide indication on the outside of the envelope on whether the voter is casting an absentee or mail-in ballot (Sec. A-115.285).

• Authorizes any registered voter in this state to cast a mail-in or absentee ballot provided that they have not already cast a ballot in said election (Sec. A-115.302).

• Requires applications for mail-in or absentee ballots provide the applicants full legal name and address in which the applicant is registering, be signed by the applicant, and be made by the applicant in person, or by United States mail to the election authority of the jurisdiction in which the individual is registered (Sec. A-115.302).

• Specifies that the election authority shal print and make available in a sufficient quantity of absentee ballots, ballots, ballot envelopes, and mailing envelopes as soon as possible and no later than the sixth tuesday prior to each election, or within 14 days after candidate names or questions are certified (Sec. A-115.302).

• Requires each mail-in ballot be returned to the election authority in the ballot envelope and shall only be returned by the voter by United States mail and specifies that all votes on each mail-in ballot received by an election authority at or before the time fixed by law for the closing of polls on election day shall be counted and prohibits any votes on any mail-in ballot received by an election authority after the time fixed by law for the closing of polls on election day from being counted (Sec. A-115.302).

Full Bill Text