Absentee ballots now available for Nov. 4 election

NEW MADRID -- Absentee ballots are now available for the Nov. 4 general election. However, for some counties, those ballots came with an added expense.

A recent court decision meant the reprinting of some ballots in New Madrid and Scott counties. A ruling by the Missouri Court of Appeals, just days before Missourians could begin casting their absentee ballots, changed the official ballot title for Constitutional Amendment 6.

The ballot title now reads: "Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to permit voting in person or by mail for a period of six business days prior to and including the Wednesday before the election day in general elections, but only if the legislature and the governor appropriate and disburse funds to pay for the increased costs of such voting?"

The change clarified the state would reimburse counties the costs of early voting.

Mississippi County Clerk Junior Delay said he had heard about the pending litigation and without any requests for military absentee ballots, his office was able to hold off having ballots printed

"We were one of the lucky ones," he said.

New Madrid County Clerk Clement Cravens said he was unaware the wording was being challenged when he had absentee ballots printed for New Madrid County. Fortunately, he said, it wasn't a large number of ballots.

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