Allen Seabaugh
Scott County Clerk & Local Election Authority
P.O. Box 188
131 S. Winchester Street, Room 105
Benton, Missouri 63736
Phone: 573-545-3549 | Fax: 573-545-3540
Email: countyclerk@scottcountymo.com

The election authority in Scott County is the County Clerk who oversees the activities that take place before and during all state and local elections. This includes voter registration and the issuance of absentee ballots. Missourians must be registered by the 4th Wednesday prior to an election in order to vote in that election.

Who Can Register to Vote

Qualifications to register include:

-  17.5 years of age to register to vote and 18 years of age by Election Day to vote
-  U.S. citizen
-  Missouri resident

No Person Shall be entitled to vote:

-  While confined under a sentence of imprisonment
-  While on probation or parole after the conviction of a felony
-  After conviction of a felony connected with the right of suffrage

Where to Register to Vote

Online at the Missouri Secretary of State's website: https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/register
The County Clerk's Office at the Scott County Courthouse in Benton
City Clerk's Offices
State Agencies

You can change your name or address prior to, or on, Election Day.  If you are registered to vote in Scott County, you can change your registration at your polling place.  If you are registered in a different Missouri county, you can change your registration at the Scott County Courthouse in Benton on Election Day.

Absentee Voting

Voters unable to go to their polling place on Election Day may vote absentee beginning six weeks prior to an election. Absentee voters must provide one of the following reasons for voting absentee:

-  Absence on Election Day from the jurisdiction of the election authority in which I am registered;
-  Incapacity or confinement due to illness or physical disability on election day, including caring for a person who is incapacitated or confined due to illness or physical disability and resides at the same address (No Notary Required);
-  Religious belief or practice;
-  Employment as an election authority, by an election authority at a location other than my polling place, as a first responder, as a health care worker, or as a member of law enforcement;
-  Incarceration, provided all qualifications for voting are retained; or
-  Certified participation in the address confidentiality program established under sections 589.660 to 589.681 RSMo. because of safety concerns.

Voters can request an absentee ballots from the County Clerk's office online, in person, by mail, by email, or fax. When requesting an absentee ballot, include name, date of birth, address where you live and the address you want the ballot mailed to. Relatives within the second degree may complete an absentee ballot application, in person, on behalf of the voter who wishes to vote absentee. Absentee ballot requests must be received by the County Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 2nd Wednesday prior to any election.

If you have registered to vote by mail and are voting absentee the first time you vote, you are required to provide a copy of your identification with your absentee ballot request unless you provided a copy with your voter registration application.

This identification requirement, as well as the notary requirement for absentee ballots, does not apply to overseas voters, those on active military duty or members of their immediate family living with them or voters who are declared disabled and their caregivers. Information for military and overseas voters can be found on the Secretary of State's website here.

No Excuse Absentee Voting

Voters can cast an absentee ballot in the County Clerk's office without an excuse beginning the 2nd Tuesday prior to Election Day.  No excuse absentee voting ends at 5:00 p.m. on the day before Election Day.  A photo ID is required to vote.

If you have questions or concerns, or if you would like additional information, contact the County Clerk's office at 573-545-3549 or visit the office inside the Scott County Courthouse.