Atchison County currently has 3,856 registered voters. With the upcoming Presidential Election on November 3, it is important for citizens to be registered to vote. Susette Taylor, Atchison County Clerk, wants citizens to be aware of the requirements to take part in the upcoming elections.

There are various ways one may register in Atchison County. You may register at the County Clerk’s office in Rock Port at the Atchison County Courthouse between the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon or 1:00-4:30 p.m. The License Bureau in Rock Port will register voters at the time you apply for or renew your licenses. You can also register at Family Services in Rock Port, or you may register online at www.sos.mo.gov.

Registration itself is a very simple process. You will be asked for a photo ID, date of birth, last four digits of your social security number, and proof of current address. All this information is generally available on your Missouri driver’s license, providing it shows your current address of residency. If your license is out of state or has a different address, you must provide a utility bill or piece of mail showing your current address. If you register at the courthouse you will be provided a voter ID card at the time of registration. If you register at an alternate location you will receive your card in the mail in one to two weeks.

The deadline to register for the general election is October 7. If you are not registered by the deadline, you will not be able to vote on November 3.

Your voter ID card will show you which polling location you will vote at on Election Day. Polling locations are: Rock Port – Velma Houts Building, Tarkio – Community Building (new location), Fairfax – Fairfax City Hall, Westboro – Westboro Fire Station/Community Building, and Watson – Watson Community Building.

If you will be absent from the county on Election Day, you may vote absentee at the courthouse or request an absentee or mail-in ballot be sent to you. Either you or a relative in the first degree must sign an absentee request form for a ballot to be mailed. The deadline for requesting an absentee or mail-in ballot is October 21. The application must be in the office on that date. You can find an application on Atchison County’s website: www.acmoelections.org. It is a fillable form, or on the Secretary of State’s website: www.sos.mo.gov. You may also call and request one from the county clerk’s office, but this must be done immediately. You cannot call in and request an absentee ballot be mailed on October 21. The form must be signed and in the clerk’s office by October 21.

If a ballot is mailed to you, you are required to have your signature notarized before returning the ballot to the clerk’s office, unless your reason for voting absentee is one of the following: Incapacity or confinement due to illness; having contracted coronavirus or at-risk (in 2020) due to the following: age 65 or older; living in a long-term care facility, chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma, serious heart condition, immunocompromise, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and undergoing dialysis, or liver disease.

If any ballot is returned without a notary it will be checked against the signature on file in the Missouri Centralized Voter Registration database. If there is any concern that the signature is not that of the voter, it will be flagged and reviewed by a team of judges when absentee ballots are counted.

The best way to ensure that your vote is received on time is to vote in person at the courthouse or at your polling location on Election Day. In-person absentee voting for the November 3 General Election will begin on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon and 1:00-4:30 p.m. The office will also be open on Saturday, October 31 from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon.

Atchison County does offer curbside voting for any voter who is unable to walk into the polling location.

Exceptions for military and permanently disabled voters can be obtained by calling the clerk’s office at 660-744-6214.

On Election Day voters are required to bring their voter ID card or a form of identification with them to the polls to be able to vote.

If you would like to serve as an election judge or assist on Election Day and are not currently on the list maintained in the clerk’s office, call 660-744-6214 and a form will be mailed to you. Atchison County Clerk Susette Taylor commented, “We are always looking for new judges and would welcome you to our election team. We have several opportunities for you to serve or assist with the election process. Although I have an amazing group of dedicated election judges, there may be times they are unable to work and those positions are easier to fill if I have a list of individuals willing to assist.”

If you have any further questions, please feel free to call the county clerk’s office at 660-744-6214.