Changes to know as voter registration deadline approaches

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The last day to register to vote in the November election is Wednesday, Oct. 12.

Before voters head to the polls on Nov. 8, there are some changes to the election process they should expect. Gov. Mike Parson signed an omnibus election law in June that changed voter ID requirements and expanded absentee voting.

Eligible residents can register to vote online at the Secretary of State's website, through the mail or in person at your county clerk's office.

Acceptable voter IDs include:

• Non-expired Missouri driver or non-driver license.
• Non-expired military ID or veteran’s ID card.
• Non-expired United States passport.
• Or any other nonexpired photo ID issued by the federal or state governements.

Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon warns several common forms of ID are no longer acceptable and that sample ballots and the voter role IDs sent out in the mail. Lennon said these are sent out to make sure people have not moved since the last election.

"If you're registered to vote, you can go to your polling place on election day and you'll be able to vote, even if you don't have that government ID," Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said.

If you don't have a photo ID, you can vote using a blue provisional ballot.

"Blue provisional ballots count if the voter comes back with one of their photo IDs -- they have a photo ID and they just forgot it at home -- or if the signature on the ballot envelope matches the signature on the voter registration," Lennon said.

Lennon warns that if there's an influx of provisional ballots, it may lead to a delay in finalizing election results.

"If we have hundreds of blue provisional ballots and it's a close election, you may see something that says the unofficial votes are this, but we have this many outstanding blue provisional ballots," Lennon said. "Once we are done with certification that's when out results will be finalized."

Early voting was also expanded to include a no-excuse absentee voting period.

"You will now, for the two weeks leading up to the election, anyone who wants that's registered to vote may vote absentee," Ashcroft said.

No-excuse absentee voting opens] Oct. 25. Provisional ballots cannot be used for early voting, so a valid photo ID is required.

Lennon said she is still in need of poll workers for this election. Several national outlets report difficulty recruiting poll workers, including Politifact, PBS and Politico.

"In some respects, the biggest threat to our elections is finding enough of your neighbors, the people that the voters shop with or worship with or their kids play games with, to actually run the elections," Ashcroft said.

A bipartisan team of poll workers is needed at every polling location. The base pay starts at $200, and you can find more information at vote.boonemo.org.