LibGuides: Voting and Elections in the United States: Voting & the Election Process

Voting & Voter Registration

Go Vote Missouri
The official site of the Missouri Secretary of State's office, which is charged by law with oversight of election laws. Includes forms to look up your registration status, register online, or request a paper registration form.
Important Election Dates & Deadlines in Missouri
From Rock the Vote
Missouri Voter Lookup
This is a secure website at which you can enter your name and home address to determine if you are registered to vote and to find the location of your polling place. Maintained by the Missouri Secretary of State’s office.
Illinois State Board of Elections
Voter information including registration and polling place lookup.
Register to VOTE
From Vote.gov. Check how to register in every state.
Vote 411.org
Information for every state on how and where to register to vote, eligibility requirements, getting absentee ballots, and everything you need to know about voting, including candidate information. The site includes ballot measures by state and location of polling places. From the League of Women Voters.
VoteRiders
VoteRiders provides information and free, expert assistance to help you with voter ID. We can help with renewing your expired ID, obtaining the documents needed to secure your ID, and covering the cost of getting to and from ID-issuing offices. Call or text VoteRiders’ Voter ID Helpline: 844-338-8743.
KSDK (Channel 5) Election Coverage
Includes news stories on using a notary and other election-related coverage for Missouri and Illinois.

Election Process

ALL IN To Vote
Describes the election process and the importance of elections at all levels of government.
Electionland
From ProPublica, Electionland is a coalition of newsrooms around the country that are covering misinformation, cybersecurity, and problems that prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots during the 2020 elections.
Federal Voting Assistance Program
Voting information and assistance for U.S. Service members, their families, and overseas citizens
Voting
From USA.gov -- answers to common questions on voting the U.S.

Local

Voter's Guide, St. Louis Post Dispatch
Enter your address for a customized interactive ballot, or browse for races, candidates and propositions. You can mark your choices to print or save. Select two rival candidates to see side-by-side profiles.
The Objective Reporter
Started by local students, The Objective Reporter includes short video interviews with local (Missouri) officials and candidates.

Youth-Oriented

The Objective Reporter
Started by local students, The Objective Reporter includes short video interviews with local (Missouri) officials and candidates.
Black Youth Vote!
Founded by the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Black Youth Vote! is a national grassroots coalition of organizations and individuals committed to increasing political and civic involvement among Black men and women aged 18-35. This youth led organization seeks to empower Black youth by educating them about the political process and training them to identify issues and influence public policy through participation.
Rock the Vote
This group "is a non-profit, non-partisan organization, founded in 1990." It "engages youth in the political process by incorporating the entertainment community and youth culture into its activities." The site includes information about registering to vote and kits for organizing voter registration drives, links to information about selected issues, and a blog.
Campus Vote Project
Includes guides to student voting in every state.
College Students' Voting Guide for 2020
From Study.com
ALL IN To Vote
Describes the election process and the importance of elections at all levels of government.

Voter Intimidation

The right of each voter to cast his or her ballot free from intimidation or coercion is a foundational principle of a free and democratic society. Federal law prohibits voter intimidation.

What should I do if I see or experience voter intimidation?

If you fear imminent violence, call 9-1-1.
Notify your local election official at your polling place.
Document what you saw or experienced: what happened, where, and when, and whether any voters were deterred from voting.
Call Election Protection at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). Assistance is also available in Spanish at 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888- 839-8682), in Arabic at 844-YALLA-US (844-915- 5187), and Asian languages at 888-API-VOTE (1-888-174-8683). A video American Sign Language line is available at 301-818-VOTE (301-818-8683).

Source: Fact Sheet: Protecting Against Voter Intimidation, Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, Georgetown University Law Center, [2020].

Fact Sheet: Protecting Against Voter Intimidation
Summarizes voter intimidation laws, defines and gives examples of voter intimidation. From the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, Georgetown University Law Center.

Fact Sheet: Protecting Against Voter Intimidation

What should I do if I see armed groups near a polling place or voter registration drive?

First, document what you see:

➢ What are the armed people doing?
➢ What are the armed people wearing?
➢ Are they carrying firearms? If so, what type? If not, are they carrying other types of weapons?
➢ Are they wearing insignia? If so, what does it say or look like?
➢ Are they bearing signs or flags?
➢ Do they seem to be patrolling like a law enforcement officer might do?
➢ Do they seem to be coordinating their actions?
➢ Do they have a leader?
➢ Are they stopping or talking to people outside of their group?
➢ Do they appear to be provoking or threatening violence? If so, what are they doing specifically?
➢ Are people turning away from the polling station after seeing or speaking with them?

Second, call Election Protection at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) to report what you see.

Assistance in also available in Spanish at 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888- 839-8682), in Arabic at 844- YALLA-US (844-915-5187), and Asian languages at 888-API-VOTE (1-888-174-8683). A video call number for American Sign Language is available at 301-818-VOTE (301-818-8683).
Source: Fact Sheet: Unlawful Militias in Missouri, Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, Georgetown University Law Center, [2020].

Fact Sheet: Unlawful Militias in Missouri

Fact Sheet: Unlawful Militias in Missouri
Summary of Missouri laws regarding militias. From the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection, Georgetown University Law Center.
Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection
Includes links to Fact Sheets on unlawful militias in every state and information related to the protection of voting rights and other constitutional rights of citizens.