Chasing My Ballot

     I live in Branson.  Our community is a "Purple Star Town", and , I fear, an emerging "Qanon Town".  I work at a Senior Care Facility and do not want to stand in line to vote.  It remains to be seen if I can succeed. After the DNC Convention, I put on my Rick Warren "purposeful face" and started.  This is my first report.

1. I called the Taney County Clerk

2. A nice person answered

3. She advised that if I was unsure if I was registered, I could go to the Missouri State website and confirm

4. She did not know the Missouri web address

5. She did inform me that after confirming that I was registered, I could access the Taney County website and download an application for an "Absentee Ballot".

6. She cautioned me that if I had changed my address since last voting I would have to go to another Missouri State webpage to update my address, if I found that I was registered, otherwise I would have to visit another webpage to register anew.

7. I did find the interactive site at Mo.gov and correctly answered 9 questions which resulted in a confirmation that I was registered, but not at my current address.  At another Mo.gov page, I found an input screen described to update my personal information as a means of updating the Mo. State maintained registration role.

8. I completed the Update Page which included a field that accepted a signature by finger with a warning that the signature should be replacatable if requested.  I doubt that it would be. I pressed submit.  I did not get any confirmation that it was accepted.

9. I called back the Taney County clerk, who advised that I call her back in 4 to 5 days and she would check the Mo State data base to make sure my name and SS# matched the address to which she would send the "application for Absentee Ballot"

10. Just to get a headstart I went to the Taney County Clerk site and downloaded the application.  It lists 7 possible reasons which might justify my being sent an absentee ballot. There was a highlighted stipulation that I could only choose one reason.  Of the 7 options, 5 had to be returned with a notarized statement.

11. In faireness one of the acceptable reasons for requesting the absentee ballot was COVID.  The line item starts "I have contracted COVID" and then allows for others to qualify if they are "at risk" pursuant to "Section 115.277.6 RsMo. 

12. At the bottom of the Absentee Ballot Application in bold letters, the application restates that the document is a "Mail in Ballot Request" and explicitly states that "notary required for all mail ballots"

13.  So far, I am just confused.  I will wait a week and then call to seek clarification

I will post a follow up when Ihave confirmed that the Taney County Clerk will be able to consider my request after receiving an update from the Mo. Sec. State.

It is probably not correct that of the 22,000, more or less voter, the Taney Clerk will be sending out 22,000 Absentee Ballots.  My current guest, based on the degree of difficulty....fewer than 100.  I hope mine is one of them.