Eric Fey

Officials in St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County said Monday that voters have embraced the two-week period in which they can cast a ballot at a designated polling place for any reason.

Tuesday marked the first day of Missouri’s no-excuse, in person absentee period — which stretches through Nov. 7.

Officials also welcomed anyone with questions about the ballot-counting process to take a tour of the facilities, or serve as an election judge.

The more than 50-page bill contains not only a photo ID requirement in order to vote, but also new rules for election authorities across the state, leading some to wonder how they will be enforced.

But some election officials say the three weeks of in-person, no-excuse absentee voting is still too restrictive — and others don't like the legislation restarting Missouri's photo identification requirement.

Whether they'll be able to hinges greatly on where they live and what changes, if any, local lawmakers are willing to make.

Missouri's election officials have tried for years to get rid of the state's excuse system for absentee balloting. While nothing is assured, they say 2021 may be the year when the idea gains momentum.

Missouri isn't Pennsylvania when it comes to processing absentee ballots. But that doesn't mean elections officials here are against the idea of extending the five-day window for preparing absentee ballots to be counted.

The St. Louis County Board of Elections announced Wednesday it will publish polling site wait times online throughout the day this election. County leaders say the interactive map will help reduce crowding at polling sites and help voters plan ahead of time.

As Election Day nears, advocates say they'll be on the watch for voter intimidation and other issues that may affect voters of color. We have a breakdown of the issues here, as well as resources voters can use.