Deadline is July 22 to request absentee, mail in ballots for August primary

The deadline is fast approaching to request an absentee or mail in ballot for Missouri’s primary election, which will be held Aug. 4.

Those who prefer not to vote in person for that election must make their requests by 5 p.m. July 22, said Butler County Clerk Tonyi Deffendall.

To be eligible to vote with an absentee ballot, there are some stipulations, Deffendall said.

Absentee voting without a notary is available for those incapacitated or confined with illness, anyone who has contracted or is at risk of contracting coronavirus because they are age 65 and older, lives in a long-term care facility, has chronic lung disease or asthma, has a serious heart condition, is immunocompromised, has diabetes, has chronic kidney disease and is undergoing dialysis, or has liver disease.

“They’ve really extended that to cover a lot more illnesses” than normal, said Deffendall. “These people would normally be going to the polls to vote and may be a little worried about doing that. This will help them.”

Others may vote absentee with a notary, including for religious beliefs, working as an election worker, incarceration (if eligible), participation in a Safe at Home program or absence from your voting precinct on election day.

To receive an absentee ballot, Deffendall said, voters must fill out an application to request the ballot at the county clerk’s office, by mail, email or fax.

The county clerk’s address is 100 N. Main St., Room 202, Poplar Bluff, MO, 63901. The email address is tdbutler@tcmax.net, and the fax number is 573-686-8066.

Once the ballot is received and filled out, the return envelope must be notarized, unless the voter is exempt because of the reasons above.

The final step is to return the absentee ballot. By mail, the county clerk’s office must have it by 7 p.m. on election day.

“The last day to vote absentee in person is Monday, Aug. 3, at 5 p.m.,” said Deffendall.

Her office, she said, will be open from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Aug. 1, to assist with absentee voting.

Mail-in ballot

The procedure for the new mail-in ballot is similar, but with tighter restrictions, Deffendall said.

First, potential voters must request a mail-in ballot from the county clerk’s office, either in person or by mail.

Additionally, the application can be filled out online.

“If they have access to a computer, they can go to the Secretary of State’s page (www.sos.mo.gov) and fill out the application. They can print it out and mail it in to us,” Deffendall said.

After the mail-in ballot is filled out, the return envelope must be notarized. There are no exceptions, unlike with some regular absentee ballots.

Ballots then must be sent to the county clerk’s office through the U.S. Mail system only.

Deffendall said it’s important not to wait too long to request an absentee or mail-in ballot.

“We have to have the application for absentee by 5 on that day,” she emphasized. “If we’re running short on time, we can walk them through everything we need in just a letter form and getting it to us that way. If we get close to the 22nd, we really wouldn’t have time to mail them the application, have them complete it and mail it back, and then mail the ballot to them.”

The new mail-in balloting, approved by the Missouri legislature, Deffendall said, covers this year only.

“After 2020, it will no longer be an option. It does not cover future pandemics,” she said.

Mail-in voting, Deffendall said, has been a point of contention for many, but she hasn’t heard much in the way of complaints locally.

“I have heard some complaints, but we have not gotten very many requests in Butler County. That’s not the case in the cities, where I think they’ve got an influx of the mail-in ballots,” Deffendall said.

Given all the changes this year, she said, her office is “doing the best we can with what we’ve got.”

Anyone with questions about the voting process, Deffendall said, is encouraged to call her office at 575-686-8050.