Among the long lines of absentee voters in St. Louis County during this presidential election are many voters in wheelchairs or with walkers or canes n men and women with health and mobility problems who wouldn’t be able to stand for long periods of time among the record-breaking numbers of voters expected on Nov. 4.
“I’m seeing probably more elderly,” Scott Leindecker, Republican director at the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners, said.
“We’re getting a lot of folks that seem to have some type of disability.”
October 29 was the last day to request an absentee ballot by mail in both St. Louis City and County. Now absentee voters will need to visit an election board site.
“As of Oct 23, the City of St. Louis had over 9,000 requests for absentee voting, including those who voted absentee on site,” Leindecker said. “We’ll probably reach around 11,000. It’s significant but not record-breaking like in St. Louis County.”
The lines have been long and steady at the St. Louis County Election office, located at 12 Sunnen Drive in Maplewood.
“We expect to hit 65- to 70,000 absentee voters n that is both here and by mail,” said Joe Donahue, Democratic director of elections at St. Louis County. He said that is twice as many as in the last general election in 2004.
Currently it is taking 30 to 45 minutes to vote absentee in St. Louis County.
Who can vote absentee
Registered voters may vote absentee in Missouri if they are prevented from going to the polls on Election Day for one of the following reasons:
•Absence from the city/county on Election Day
•Incapacity or confinement due to illness, physical disability (or a caregiver of such a person)
•Religious belief or practice
•Employment as an election authority or by an election authority at a location other than your polling place
•Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained,
•A member of the U.S. armed forces active duty or a dependent spouse
•A civilian employee of the U.S government working outside the U.S.
•A registered voter in another county in Missouri who moved to St. Louis County after the fourth Wednesday prior to this election.
•A former resident of Missouri and authorized to vote for federal offices by federal law
“On the form you have to specify why you are voting absentee. It is up to the individual,” Donahue explained. “We don’t check the forms with that many people. What they check off, we accept. We don’t challenge anybody as to why they are voting absentee.”
With this very unique and historic election, voters can expect lines and a very heavy turnout.
“When you service 200,000 people, expect lines,” Leindecker said of voting in the City. “If they are concerned about standing in the line, if they have bad knees or some type of disability that would cause more problems for them standing up for a long time, then vote early here. Better safe than sorry.”
For voters who received absentee ballots by mail, Leindecker urges voters to turn in their ballots early n to avoid potential mail delays that could void their vote.
“It needs to be in the office by Election Day. If it is received the day after and it’s postmarked Nov. 4 it does not count,” Leindecker warns. “Come to the election board. It is always the best way to do it. If you want to make sure you do it and do it right—come here. We have a paper ballot for every voter in the city of St. Louis.”
The St. Louis Election Board is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday n Friday for absentee voting and is located at 300 N. Tucker, on the corner of Tucker and Olive downtown. It will be open Saturday November 1 for absentee voting as well.
“You can vote up until Monday [Nov. 3] absentee. We will be open all day Saturday from 9 to 5 and the big thing is just getting down here. That’s the best way to do it,” Leindecker said.
The St. Louis City absentee voting department may be reached at 314-622-3319.
Information on absentee voting in the County can be found by calling 314-615-1800, ext. 2.
Anyone with any voting questions or problems, call 1-877-MO-CHANGE (1-877-662-4264).