Oddusee Civic Guides · Verified August 2026
Three things that make voting in St. Louis different: (1) Missouri requires photo ID — and a free state ID for voting is available at any license office. (2) You get two weeks of no-excuse in-person “absentee” voting before every election. (3) City elections use approval voting — in the March round you vote for every candidate you approve of, and the top two meet in April.
📍 Register online | Check your status | Find a polling place
Key dates — November 3, 2026 General
- Registration deadline: Wednesday, October 7, 2026 (4th Wednesday before).
- No-excuse in-person absentee: Tuesday, October 20 – Monday, November 2, at the Election Board (300 N Tucker Blvd) and satellite library sites.
- Mail absentee (excuse required): apply by 5 PM October 21; most ballots need a notary; received by 7 PM Election Day.
- Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 6 AM – 7 PM.
Dates can change — always confirm at the official Missouri election calendar.
Can I vote?
You can register if you’re a U.S. citizen, a Missouri resident, and will be 18 by Election Day (pre-register at 17½).
- Felony conviction? Your rights come back automatically once your whole sentence is done — including probation and parole. Then just re-register. (Election-crime convictions are the one permanent bar.)
The ID you need
Bring an unexpired Missouri driver or nondriver license, military/veteran ID, U.S. passport, or another government photo ID that’s current (or expired only since the last general election). No ID? Vote a provisional ballot — it counts if you return with ID before polls close or your signature matches your registration. Missouri issues a free nondriver ID for voting, and the SOS helps with underlying documents free: (800) 669-8683.
Primary & party
Missouri has open primaries — no party registration; pick your ballot at the polls. No runoffs. The 2026 state primary was August 4. City elections are nonpartisan approval voting (March/April, odd years).
Where to vote
St. Louis has been using city-wide polling places — in the August 2026 primary, any city voter could vote at any of 54 sites, including Central Library (1301 Olive St), Buder Library (4401 Hampton Ave), Carpenter Branch (3309 S Grand), Friendly Temple (5544 Dr Martin Luther King Dr), Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club (4245 N Kingshighway), Gene Slay’s Club (2524 S 11th St), and the Election Board (300 N Tucker Blvd). Curbside voting and accessible machines are available at every site — (314) 622-4336. Confirm the November list before you go.
Polling places & lookup | Track your ballot
The offices St. Louisans elect
Current officeholders as of August 2026 (verified). St. Louis is an independent city — you elect city AND “county” offices. On the Nov 2026 ballot: Recorder of Deeds, Collector of Revenue, License Collector, State Auditor, SD4, all state house seats, MO-1, and judicial retentions.
City Hall (odd-year elections — next 2027/2029)
- Mayor: Cara Spencer (took office April 2025)
- Comptroller: Donna Baringer
- President, Board of Aldermen: Megan Green
- Aldermen (14 wards): W1 Anne Schweitzer; W2 Tom Oldenburg; W3 Shane Cohn (running for Recorder of Deeds); W4 Bret Narayan; W5 Matt Devoti; W6 Daniela Velázquez; W7 Alisha Sonnier; W8 Jami Cox Antwi; W9 Michael Browning; W10 Shameem Clark Hubbard; W11 Laura Keys; W12 Sharon Tyus; W13 Pamela Boyd; W14 Rasheen Aldridge
“County” offices (partisan, November elections)
- Circuit Attorney: Gabe Gore
- Sheriff: John Hayden Jr. (interim — elected sheriff Alfred Montgomery was removed by a judge in Nov 2025)
- Treasurer: Adam Layne
- Recorder of Deeds: Michael Butler (not running — open seat on the Nov 2026 ballot)
- Collector of Revenue: Gregory F.X. Daly (2026 ballot)
- License Collector: Mavis Thompson (2026 ballot)
- Public Administrator: Sean Rapp
Courts
- 22nd Circuit judges aren’t elected in contests — under the Missouri Nonpartisan Court Plan you vote yes/no on retention. Roster: stlcitycircuitcourt.com; reviews: yourmissourijudges.org
State & federal
- Governor: Mike Kehoe (R); Lt. Gov: Dave Wasinger; AG: Catherine Hanaway (appointed 2025); SOS: Denny Hoskins; Treasurer: Vivek Malek — all next up 2028
- State Auditor: Scott Fitzpatrick (R) — the one statewide race on the Nov 2026 ballot
- MO House (all on the 2026 ballot): HD76 Marlon Anderson; HD77 Kimberly-Ann Collins; HD78 Marty Joe Murray Jr.; HD79 LaKeySha Bosley; HD80 Elizabeth Fuchs; HD81 Steve Butz; HD82 Nick Kimble; HD84 Del Taylor
- MO Senate: SD4 Karla May (term-limited — open seat on the 2026 ballot); SD5 Steven Roberts (up 2028)
- U.S. House MO-1: Wesley Bell (2026 ballot — won the August primary over Cori Bush)
- U.S. Senators: Josh Hawley & Eric Schmitt — no MO Senate race in 2026
Learn more
- St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners — official registration, absentee, and polling info; (314) 622-4336.
- League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis — nonpartisan voter guides.
- VoteRiders — free help getting a voter ID.
Always confirm dates and locations with the Election Board and Missouri SOS — rules and deadlines can change between elections.