ST. LOUIS — The 2022 midterm election is right around the corner, and there are many county, state and federal offices on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Ballotpedia reported a total of 469 seats in the U.S. Congress up for election this November, including 34 Senate seats and all 435 seats in the majority-Democratic House of Representatives. The election also puts 36 gubernatorial seats up for grabs, including the office of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Here are some important deadlines for Missouri and Illinois voters to keep in mind ahead of Election Day.
Voter registration
MISSOURI:
To register to vote in Missouri, you must be at least 18 years old on Election Day, a U.S. citizen and a resident of Missouri.
If you wish to vote in Missouri’s Nov. 8 election, the last day to register to vote is Wednesday, Oct. 12. You can register in-person at your county clerk’s office, submit this form via mail or register online.
Are you already registered? Click here to check your Missouri voter registration status.
ILLINOIS:
To register to vote in Illinois, you must be 18 years old on or before Election Day, have lived in your election precinct for at least 30 days prior to Election Day and must not be serving a prison sentence.
If you wish to vote in Illinois’ election, you can register online, in person or via mail. The last day to register at the office of your local election authority is Tuesday, Oct. 11. Mailed registration forms must be postmarked by Oct. 11. Online registration closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23.
Are you already registered? Click here to check your Illinois voter registration status.
Absentee voting
MISSOURI:
To vote by mail, absentee ballot requests must be received by your county clerk’s office by Oct. 26. Completed ballots must be received by your local election authority on Election Day.
Missouri voters can cast a no-excuse, in-person absentee ballot between Oct. 25 and Nov. 7 at a location designated by their local election authority. Voters must show a government-issued photo ID, including a Missouri driver license, nondriver license, U.S. passport or military ID.
ILLINOIS:
To vote by mail, absentee ballot requests must be received by your local county clerk’s office by Nov. 3. Completed ballot must be postmarked no later than Election Day. They must arrive at the election office by Nov. 22.
Illinois voters can cast a no-excuse, in-person absentee ballot between Oct. 24 and Nov. 7 at the office of your local election authority or a location designated for in-person absentee voting.
In-person voting on Election Day:
Polling places in both Missouri and Illinois will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you are in line at closing time, you still have the right to cast your vote.
Click here to find your Missouri polling place.
Missouri requires voters to show ID to cast their ballot. Acceptable forms of identification include:
- A nonexpired Missouri driver or nondriver license.
- A nonexpired military ID.
- A nonexpired U.S. passport.
- Another nonexpired photo ID issued by the U.S. or Missouri.
Click here to find your Illinois polling place.
Illinois does not require voters to show ID to vote in person. However, if this is your first time voting in a federal election in Illinois, you must follow these federal guidelines.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story had incorrect information about absentee voting in Missouri. We regret the error.
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