Elections

Any person who is qualified to vote, or who shall become qualified to vote on or before the day of election, shall be entitled to register in the jurisdiction within which he or she resides. In order to vote in any election for which registration is required, a person must be registered to vote in the jurisdiction of his or her residence no later than 5:00 p.m., or the normal closing time of any public building where the registration is being held if such time is later than 5:00 p.m., on the fourth Wednesday prior to the election, unless the voter is an interstate former resident, an intrastate new resident or a new resident, as defined in section 115.275. In no case shall registration for an election extend beyond 10:00 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday prior to the election. Any person registering after such date shall be eligible to vote in subsequent elections.

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Absentee Voting

Registered voters who are not be able to go to their polling place on election day may vote absentee but must comply to one of the following legal reasons:

• Absence on Election Day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which such voter is registered to vote
• Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability, including a person who is primarily responsible for the physical care of a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or disability and resides at the same address.
• Religious belief or practice
• Employment as an election authority, as a member of an election authority, or by an election authority at a location other than such voter’s polling place. Newly added occupations; first responders, health care workers, and law enforcement.
• Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained.
• Certified Participation in the address confidentiality program established under Sections 589.660 to 589.681 because of safety concerns.

All requests to receive an absentee ballot by mail must be received by our office no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 2nd Wednesday immediately preceding an election. All absentee ballots voted via mail must be received by our office no later than 7:00 p.m. on the day of the election in order to be counted.

All qualified voters wishing to vote absentee in-person may do so in the County Clerk’s Office normally starting six weeks prior to the election. The County Clerk’s Office hours are normally 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on week days unless required by state statute. And 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the Saturday immediately preceding any election.

Living Overseas?

If you are a United States citizen living overseas or if you are in the Military, there are special provisions for you to register, receive, and return your ballot.

Starting six weeks before an election, there are two ways to request an absentee ballot in Wright County:

1. In-person: Visit the Wright County Clerk’s office at 125 Court Square to complete an application to vote absentee. “No-Excuse Voting” is available in our office two weeks prior to the election. ***The deadline to request to vote absentee in-person is 5:00 pm the Monday before the election.
2. Mail or Fax: (put in the absentee ballot request sheet attached below) complete the application, and return it to the Wright

County Clerk’s office at:
Mail: Wright County Clerk
PO Box 98
Hartville, MO 65667

***The Wright County Clerk’s office must receive your application by 5:00 pm the 2nd Wednesday prior to the election to mail your ballot.

How the vote-by-mail process works

Once your application is processed you will receive a ballot in the mail. Follow the steps below to make sure that your ballot is counted.

Important: You must sign the return envelope and your ballot must be postmarked or received by the election’s office before the polls close at 7:00 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

1 – Mark your ballot

• Mark your ballot using a dark ballpoint pen.
• To vote for a candidate, fill in the oval to the left of the candidate’s name of your choice.
• To vote on any measure, fill in the oval next to the word Yes or the word No.
• If you make a mistake, you can request a replacement ballot by contacting the election’s office.

2 – Review your ballot

• If you vote for more candidates than allowed or if you vote both Yes and No on a measure, your vote will not count for that candidate or measure.
• You do not have to vote on all contests. Those you do vote on will still count.
• Check both sides of your ballot for voting contests.

3 – Sign and seal your ballot envelope

• Important: Sign the return envelope or your ballot cannot be counted.
• You must have your envelope notarized unless you are voting by mail because you have a disability, illness, a caregiver, military or overseas citizen.
• If you are assisting a Voter on filling out a ballot you will need to sign and complete the “assisting information section” at the bottom of the envelope.

4 – Returning your ballot:

Important: If you return your ballot to the Wright County Clerk’s office you must do so at or before 7:00 pm on Election Day.

Request for Absentee Voting

Election Day Workers

Get involved. Get paid. Make a difference. Become a poll worker today.

The Wright County Clerk is currently recruiting election workers for upcoming elections. Election workers are a critical part of the election process. Please join us for this rewarding experience.

Election worker requirements:

• Polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Judges must abide by this schedule.
• Judges attend training sessions provided.
• Judges must be at the polls no later than 5:00 a.m. After 7:00 p.m. polls are closed and all of the teams must stay and assist in closing procedures.
• Election Judges may take a one-hour break during the day between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (schedule with election day team and ensure bipartisan representation at the polls during the absence): RSMo 115.097.
• Supervisory Judges shall be responsible for the return of election supplies from the polling place to the election authority and have any additional duties as prescribed by the election authority: RSMo 115.081.

If you have questions about serving as an election worker, you may call 417-741-7127 opt 1

Qualifications

Pursuant to R.S.Mo. §115.085, “No person shall be appointed to serve as an election judge who is not a registered voter in this state; provided that, before any election authority may appoint judges who are registered voters of another election authority’s jurisdiction, the election authority shall obtain the written consent of the election authority for the jurisdiction where the prospective judges are registered to vote. Each election judge shall be a person of good repute and character who can speak, read, and write the English language. No person shall serve as an election judge at any polling place in which his or her name or the name of a relative within the second degree, by consanguinity or affinity, appears on the ballot. However, no relative of any unopposed candidate shall be disqualified from serving as an election judge in any election jurisdiction of the state. No election judge shall, during his or her term of office, hold any other elective public office, other than as a member of a political party committee or township office, except any person who is elected to a board or commission of a political subdivision or special district may serve as an election judge except at a polling place where such political subdivision or special district has an issue or candidate on the ballot. In any county having a population of less than two hundred fifty thousand inhabitants, any candidate for the county committee of a political party who is not a candidate for any other office and who is unopposed for election as a member of the committee shall not be disqualified from serving as an election judge.”

“Please contact our office if you would like to work Wright County Elections”