The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Missouri House Bill 1738 allows three weeks of no-excuse absentee voting
Last action · May 15, 2026: Referred: Emerging Issues(H)Sponsors: Kemp Strickler and 3 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Missouri allows registered voters to cast absentee ballots in person without providing a specific reason beginning on the third Tuesday prior to an election, changing the prior requirement from the second Tuesday.
Registered voters gain an extra week to cast in-person absentee ballots without needing an excuse, altering the pre-election voting schedule across local election authorities.
- House Bill 1738 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session of the Missouri General Assembly. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
registered voters of this state
Registered voters are permitted to cast in-person absentee ballots without an excuse starting on the third Tuesday prior to an election.
election authority
Election authorities must designate locations for in-person absentee voting and process absentee ballots and federal postcard applications.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does no-excuse in-person absentee voting begin under this bill?
Do absentee ballots completed outside the election authority office require notarization?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
4 actions- May 15, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred: Emerging Issues(H)
- Jan 8, 2026HouseFloorRead Second Time (H)
- Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroducedRead First Time (H)
- Dec 1, 2025HouseIntroducedPrefiled (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Extension of No-Excuse Voting Window
The bill shifts the start of no-excuse in-person absentee voting from the second Tuesday to the third Tuesday prior to an election.
Connected Entities
Sources
house.mo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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