Ashcroft talks ballot options
SECRETARY OF STATE PHOTO
John R. Ashcroft Missouri Secretary of State
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft made a stop at the St. Joseph airport Tuesday to discuss with media the safety of in-person voting and new 2020 absentee and mail-in voting options approved by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Mike Parson.
“Senate Bill 631 expanded voting options for the August and November elections,” Ashcroft said. “Due to COVID-19, a voter may cast an absentee ballot if they have coronavirus or are in an at-risk category for contracting the virus. Additionally, any registered voter may request and cast a mail-in ballot.
“Still, I want to assure Missouri voters that their local election authorities are taking many precautions to make voting in person safe and secure,” Ashcroft said. “My office has provided them with sanitization options, floor distancing strips, face masks, face shields and other items to assist with creating a safe voting environment. Voting in person is the most secure way to cast a ballot.”
The new option for absentee voting allows a voter to be eligible if they have coronavirus or are at risk because they fit into any of the following categories:
- 65 or older
- Live in a long-term care facility
- Have chronic lung disease or moderate or severe asthma
- Have serious heart conditions
- Are immunocompromised
- Have diabetes
- Have chronic kidney disease or are undergoing dialysis
- Have liver disease
The mail-in option is available to all registered voters, but the ballot envelope, per state law, must be notarized. A voter who is eligible as a result of being susceptible to COVID-19 may cast a ballot without obtaining notarization of the ballot envelope.
Additionally, state law requires mail-in ballots to be delivered to the local election authority by U.S. mail only.
To help Missouri voters find notary publics to notarize their ballot envelopes, Ashcroft announced his office is now providing a list of notaries who have volunteered to provide notary services for voters at no charge. The list is viewable at sos.mo.gov/elections/MailInNotary. Free services are also being provided at the Secretary of State’s offices in Jefferson City, St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield.
While state law says absentee ballot voters cannot be charged a notary fee for ballot notarization, new voting laws for 2020 do not provide the same exception for mail-in ballots. As a result, Ashcroft’s office is providing a list online of notaries who have volunteered to provide all ballot notarization free of charge. The list will be updates as more Missouri notaries volunteer to help.
“I truly appreciate the many organizations and individuals making themselves available to help Missouri voters during this time,” Ashcroft said. “I encourage voters who need notary services to contact a volunteer in their area, and I again thank those who are volunteering their time.”
If you are a notary and wish to volunteer to provide ballot envelope notary services for free for the August and November 2020 elections, please email [email protected]. for instructions on how to become a notary, visit the Secretary of State’s website.
To view materials and information on absentee and mail-in voting for 2020, visit www.GoVoteMissouri.com.
