https://kmox.radio.com/articles/news/missouri-gov-don-t-go-out-and-vote-if-you-dont-feel-safe

Missouri governor urges 'don’t go out and vote' if you don't feel safe

"I would never tell anyone to put yourselves in harm's way if they really felt that way about going out," Gov. Mike Parson says ahead of Tuesday's local elections

Sam Masterson | May 29, 2020

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMOX) - Local elections will be held in Missouri next Tuesday and Governor Mike Parson says he hopes people will feel safe to vote. But if you don't feel safe, he says, don't go out and vote.

As the state does not allow absentee "no-excuse" voting, so most Missouri voters are only eligible to cast a vote in-person.

"I hope people feel safe to go out and vote, but if they don’t, their safety should be No. 1," Parson said in his press conference on Thursday. "If they don’t, then 'don’t go out and vote."

There's a bill awaiting Parson's signature that could allow anyone to vote by mail, but it can only be in place soon enough to apply to the August primary and November presidential elections. Parson said on Friday morning he plans to make a decision on that legislation sometime next week.

The election on June 2 was moved from the original April 7 date due to the coronavirus pandemic. There won't be an election in St. Louis City.

Parson did stress that he hopes everyone feels safe enough to vote on Tuesday and said voting is "one of the most important things you can do."

"I would never insinuate people shouldn't go vote," Parson says. "But I would never tell anyone to put yourselves in harm's way if they really felt that way about going out."