Family Connection

Paws to the Polls – A Vote is a Voice

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A vote is a voice. And every voice should be an informed one. Paws to Polls

At Missouri State University, we encourage our students to impact their communities by voting. Our nonpartisan initiative, Paws to the Polls, offers several resources for students to research candidates and issues, as well as learn how to cast their vote.

Paws to the Polls has noted some important information you may want to inform your student about:

  • First time voters should be aware that they do not have to vote for every ballot measure. If unsure, leave an item blank.
  • Any voter registered in Greene County can vote in the John Q Hammons Arena or at any other central polling location in Springfield. Find your regular polling locations at https://voteroutreach.sos.mo.gov.
  • Any Greene County voter under quarantine on election day can cast their vote by calling the County Clerk’s office at 417-868-4055. Two election officials (a Democrat and a Republican) will come to their house with a ballot.
  • Registered Greene County voters with a valid ID who would like to vote early can go to one of two locations for in-person absentee voting. They need only to state a reason for not voting on election day, and officials will give them a ballot to vote early.
    • Historic Courthouse (in the first floor rotunda)
      940 N. Boonville (corner of Boonville and Central)
      Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    • Election Center
      1126 N. Boonville
      Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., or Saturday, October 31, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
  • Voters registered outside of Greene County should be able to use in-person absentee voting at their county’s Election Authority, even if they haven’t requested an absentee ballot. Find each county’s Election Authority at https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/localelectionauthority.
  • Call the Greene County Clerk at 417-868-4055 if you have questions about voting or voter registration or concerns at the polls.
  • View a sample Greene County ballot at https://greenecountymo.gov/county_clerk/.
  • Get a ride to the polls by calling:
    • Greene County Democratic Party, 417-886-8980. Call to schedule a ride now through November 3 (including in-person absentee early voting).
    • Greene County Republican Party, 417-823-9130. Call to schedule a ride now through November 3.
    • Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 3404, 417-865-6929. Call on November 3 (Election Day) to schedule a ride.

Paws to the Polls is a nonpartisan campus initiative with a goal to increase civic engagement at MSU and serve as a resource for voter information on campus. This campus initiative emphasizes peer-to-peer interactions, familiarizing the voting process for new voters, and enhancing access to nonpartisan sources of information. An electronic version of our voter information booklet, our student-produced videos on the voting process and on civic engagement, as well as other pertinent information, may be found on our webpage housed on the Public Affairs Support Office website: https://www.missouristate.edu/ADP/paws-to-the-polls.htm.

Please note that the voting location on campus has changed to the JQH Arena (it’s no longer the Davis-Harrington Welcome Center)!If you have questions, reach out to Paws to the Polls by email.