Register To Vote By 5 P.M. Today To Vote In Midterm Elections

MISSOURI — Today — Wednesday, October 10 — is the last day to register to vote in Missouri if you want make your voice heard in the November midterm elections. The deadline is 5 p.m. It only takes a minute, and if you're using a device with a touchscreen, you can sign everything online. If not you can print out a PDF and mail it in. As long as it is postmarked no later than Wednesday, you'll still be registered in time.

Already registered? Check your status or find your polling place. (If you happen to misplace any of those links, just Google "Go Vote Missouri." The state's voter registration page will be one of the first results. You can also go directly to govotemissouri.com.)

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One of the most closely-watched contests will be Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill vs Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley in the race for U.S. Senate. The race could very well determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the Senate next year.

In her Senate campaign, McCaskill has often tried to walk a fine line between her Democratic base and the state's rural, more conservative bent. At an appearance at a St. Louis coffee shop last week, according to the Associated Press, McCaskill defended voting for increased border security, said she didn't think NFL players kneeling during the national anthem is appropriate — "but I respect anybody's right to do it" — and put a damper on talk of the president's impeachment.

"I'm authentically a moderate," she told the crowd. "For those of you who are already irritated with me, now you're going to be more irritated."

Hawley, on the other hand, has tacked hard to the right, embracing President Donald Trump, whose approval ratings hover around 40 percent nationally but are 10 points higher in Missouri, according to the polling aggregation and analysis website FiveThirtyEight.

McCaskill recently came out against President Trump's Supreme Court Pick, Brett Kavanaugh, while Hawley has been a staunch supporter of justice, who was confirmed over the weekend despite being accused of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford and other women.

Republican U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner is also facing off against Democrat Cort Van Ostran in the race for Missouri's Second Congressional District. And Missouri voters will be asked to decide between not one, not two, but three separate ballot measures that could legalize marijuana across the state in one form or another.

Even if you think you're registered, be sure to check your registration status and find your polling place before the big day (Tuesday, November 6, 2018).

Not registered? Click here to register to vote in Missouri. Or, if you're a face-to-face kind of person: You can register in person at the St. Louis City Board of Elections (300 N. Tucker Boulevard) or at the St. Louis County Board of Elections (725 Northwest Plaza Drive, St. Ann, MO), depending on where you live.

Photo: Demonstrators carry signs at the St. Louis Women's March in January (J. Ryne Danielson/Patch)