Want to make sure your mail ballot is counted in KS or MO? Here’s what you need to know

With the 2020 election wrapping up in less than three weeks, voters are getting ready to cast their ballots, many by mail.

As the coronavirus pandemic further complicates plans in Kansas and Missouri, here’s what you need to know to make sure your mail-in ballot is counted.

Kansas absentee and mail ballots

As early voting kicks off in Kansas Wednesday, voters who requested an absentee ballot can expect it to show up in their mailbox this week.

For anyone casting a mail ballot for the first time in 2020, here’s what you need to know to make sure your vote gets counted.

Katie Koupal, Kansas deputy assistant secretary of state, said there are two main mistakes mail-in voters make. The first is failing to sign the envelope containing their ballot.

“If the signature is missing, local election offices will contact voters to notify them of the error and give them the opportunity to provide the required signature,” Koupal said.

The second common mistake is not getting their ballot returned on-time, she said.

“Law requires advance by mail ballots to be postmarked on or before Election Day and received in the local election office by the end of the third day following the election,” Koupal said.

This year, that means ballots must be received by Friday, Nov. 6.

For the first time this year, Kansas voters can track their mail ballot using the VoterView tool on the secretary of state website.

The last day to request a mail ballot in Kansas is Oct. 27.

Missouri absentee and mail ballots

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has warned that as many as one in 50 mail ballots will likely be rejected by local election authorities. That rate, according to his numbers, is roughly double the national average.

Maura Browning, a spokesperson for the secretary of state’s office, said 4,692 mail ballots were thrown out in the August primary election.

Of those, 1,802 were rejected because they arrived too late. For a mail-in ballot to be counted in Missouri, it must be received by the local election authority by 7 p.m. on Election Day, when polls close.

Missouri is one of the few states that draws a distinction between absentee and mail-in voting. Qualified absentee voters, including anyone 65 or older this year, can return their ballots by mail or in-person at their local election office. Mail-in voters, however, can only return their ballots through the postal system.

Missouri is also one of just seven states in the country with no statewide mechanism for voters to track the status of their mail-in ballot.

Browning said 1,233 ballots were rejected in August because their envelopes were not signed and another 1,077 had other incomplete information.

“The best recommendation for voters is to read the instructions on the ballot envelope and follow them exactly,” Browning said. “It’s important to fill out the envelope completely and to make sure to have the envelope notarized if it’s required.”

Some absentee voters must have their ballots signed by a notary while the requirement is waived for others, including anyone at risk of contracting COVID-19 or anyone who is incapacitated or confined because of illness or disability.

Browning said 544 ballots were rejected in the primary for not being notarized. Another 36 were invalidated because the voter who cast them died before Election Day.

“Once the ballot is cast, it cannot be returned,” Browning said. “If a voter thinks they made a mistake on the envelope, they should contact their local election authority to see if there is a way for them to ensure that everything is complete on the envelope.”

The last day to request a mail-in ballot in Missouri is Oct. 21. Local election offices must receive the request by 5 p.m. for it to be processed.

This story was originally published October 15, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Want to make sure your mail ballot is counted in KS or MO? Here’s what you need to know."