Vote at Any Polling Place: A Case Study of St. Louis County, Missouri

In 2020, St. Louis County, Missouri, instituted a new procedure allowing Election Day voters to cast their ballot at any of the county's polling places (similar to vote centers in other states). This change was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, during which private venues withdrew from polling place commitments. The system adopted by St. Louis County is new among states that do not allow early or mail voting. We rely on interviews with key election staff and data on election administration and voting behavior to document the implementation of the new voting procedures, as well as administrative and voting outcomes. We use a systems framework to examine this case of local election administration. The new voting process required new voting technology, but also changes in polling place siting and staffing, poll book procedures, as well as other technological and personnel adjustments. All of these changes had to be managed seamlessly for the new system to succeed. We observe several positive outcomes in St. Louis County, and few problems. For example, St. Louis County experienced a massive decline in rejected absentee and provisional ballots in the 2020 election, developments not matched by any other Missouri jurisdiction. This case illustrates the interdependent nature of many features of election administration and one of the many successes of election administration in 2020.