ST. LOUIS — Ahead of this year's election, you may have heard: act early. But what does early mean?
Here are the dates you need to know to vote in Missouri and Illinois.
MISSOURI
Register to vote by Oct. 7.
Request an Absentee or Mail-In Ballot by Oct. 21 (With more people than ever expected to vote by mail, waiting until then is risky. It’s recommended you apply for one as soon as possible to ensure you receive your ballot on time.)
Applications will be processed and mailed out beginning Sept. 22. This is also when absentee early voting begins
Since ballots need to be received by election day to count in Missouri, it's recommended you mail it back no later than Oct. 27.
ILLINOIS
You can register to vote online until Oct. 18, or in-person up to and on election day at your polling place.
Polling places will open for early in-person voting on Sept. 24. This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic in mind, all registered voters are already automatically receiving applications to vote by mail.
Illinois only requires ballots be postmarked by Election Day to be counted; they must be received by Nov. 17.
The 2020 general election is Nov. 3.
