Voter Registration
Voter registration records may provide important naturalization information, birth dates, and signatures. In August 1920, women were given the right to vote, thus a large number of registrations occurred that fall. The women that registered were U.S. citizens by birth, those who were naturalized via marriage to a U.S. citizen, or women who were naturalized at the same time as their father or husband. In 1922, women were required to naturalize as individuals, without their fathers or husbands.
Before 1937, voters had to register every four years. The microfilmed ledger books show the voter’s signature, address, and voting record over that period of time.
St. Louis City Voter Records
Voter registration records from 1897 to 1977 are available on microfilm at the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners and in the Emerson History and Genealogy Center at St. Louis County Library Clark Family Branch.
From 1897 to 1937, the records are arranged by ward and precinct. To use the records successfully, locate your ancestor’s street address and then find that address on a ward map. The map shows the ward and precinct in the appropriate election year. Then locate the correct microfilm for that year, ward, and precinct. The wards and precincts were reviewed and possibly realigned every four years. Be sure to use the map that corresponds with the residency information.
Starting in 1937, each voter’s record is on an individual card, which is arranged alphabetically by surname. The information includes date and place of birth, the court and date of naturalization, and the voter’s signature. While St. Louis naturalizations have been indexed, this record is helpful for citizens who were naturalized in other cities.
Ward Maps
St. Louis City Ward maps dating from 1908 to 1952 are available from St. Louis Genealogical Society on a CD-ROM. CD Products
St. Louis City voter records are available on microfilm at the Emerson History and Genealogy Center at St. Louis County Library Clark Family Branch. By checking the records, you may be able to determine the date of naturalization, the approximate year of death, or the year someone moved out of St. Louis. All of these records are arranged alphabetically.
- Ward and precinct ledgers, 1897–1936
- Cancelled voter affidavits, 1937–1961
- Cancelled voter affidavits—deaths, 1937–1963
- Cancelled voter affidavits prior to 1970
- Cancelled voter affidavits—deaths prior to 1970
- List of registered voters prior to 1972
- Cancelled voter affidavits—deaths, 1978
St. Louis County Voter Records
The Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center has approximately 946 St. Louis County voter ledgers dating from 1924 to 1936. The county voter ledgers are divided by county ward and precincts. The ledgers contain an extensive set of maps, which help determine the correct ward and precinct.
Current county records are available at the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners.
Bibliography
Carlson, Avis D. The League of Women Voters in St. Louis: The First Forty Years, 1919–1959. St. Louis: League of Women Voters of St. Louis, 1959.
St. Louis Genealogical Society. St. Louis City Ward Maps 1908–1952. CD-ROM. St. Louis: St. Louis Genealogical Society, 2004.
Last modified: 29-Oct-2024 11:56