The Warren County Clerk’s Office on Tuesday dispatched close to 650 mail-in and absentee ballots for voters to begin participating in the 2020 general elections.

County Clerk Denise Stotler said there have been a lot of absentee ballots requested, even for a presidential election.

“Just trying to keep up with them was a lot,” Stotler said. “This is just a projection, but I’m going to say about 1,000 (ballots) is what we’re going to end up mailing.”

Registered voters can continue to request absentee ballots until Oct. 21, Stotler said. Those who aren’t registered can still get signed up to vote by Oct. 7.

“Please make sure you’re registered to vote. Don’t wait until it’s too late,” Stotler said. “If you moved, that will need to be addressed before Election Day, as well.”

Ballots sent out by mail need to be returned to the county clerk’s office by Election Day, Nov. 3.

Ballot envelopes include instructions about how the ballots should be returned. The instructions could vary slightly depending on the reason for requesting the ballot, Stotler said. Some can only be requested and returned by mail, while other ballots can be returned several different ways.

Ballot envelopes will also instruct voters on whether they need to get their ballot notarized before returning it to the county clerk’s office.

Absentee voting can also be done in person at the county clerk’s office inside the Warren County Administration Building at 101 Mockingbird Lane, Warrenton.

Stotler said even though 1,000 ballots might be sent out ahead of the November election, not all of them will be returned.

“I think people just put it aside and forget about it and forget to send it back. We get some after the fact, and it’s too late at that point,” Stotler said.

For more information about voting or voter registration, call the Warren County Clerk’s Office at 636-456-3331.

What’s on the ballot:

The most prominent issue on the November ballot is, of course, the U.S. Presidential Election. However, several other election issues require voter input.

Voters within the Warrenton Fire Protection District will vote on Proposition Fire Safety, a half-cent sales tax to fund the fire district’s general operations. The cash-strapped fire district is hoping voters will deliver a different outcome than when this same issue was placed on the August ballot.

Statewide, Missouri voters must also consider two constitutional amendments.

Amendment 1 would place term limits on all statewide elected officials. Currently only the governor and state treasurer are subject to term limits.

Amendment 3 (there is no Amendment 2) would partially reverse, and partially strengthen, an amendment approved by voters in 2018. The state’s redistricting process would be transferred from a single person, nominated by the state auditor, and placed back in the hands of bipartisan commissions nominated by the two major political parties.

Amendment 3 would also reduce political campaign contribution limits by $100, and reduce lobbyist gift limits from $5 to $0.