Even though the language in Senate Bill 631 allows any registered voter in the state to apply for a mail-in ballot, there is no language that requires the mandatory notarization of those ballots to be free.
The bill expanded eligibility for absentee ballots to anyone who is at risk for contracting or transmitting COVID-19, along with standard exemptions. These ballots do not require notarization.
Anyone else who doesn’t qualify is required to apply for a mail-in ballot, and according to the Secretary of State’s website, language that requires free notarization for absentee ballots does not extend to the mail-in ballot.Several people and organizations, such as Nancy Bates in Camdenton, are offering their notary services for free.