Election administration in Mississippi

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Absentee/mail-in voting
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies and methods of enforcing them. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.

THE BASICS

Mississippi does not permit online voter registration.

Mississippi does not permit early voting.

Mississippi requires an excuse for absentee voting.

In Mississippi, polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Mississippi requires photo identification to vote.

Mississippi holds open primary elections.

Mississippi has a tool for verifying voter registration.

Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Mississippi:

• Poll times
• Voter registration
• Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy
• Voter identification requirements
• Provisional ballot rules
• Primary election type
• Time off work for voting
• Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

• Voter list maintenance
• Post-election auditing
• Election policy ballot measures
• Election policy legislation
• Ballot access
• Redistricting
• Election administration agencies

Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

All polling places in Mississippi are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Voter registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register in Mississippi, prospective voters must be United States citizens, residents of their county in Mississippi for at least 30 days, and at least 18 years old by Election Day.

Registration applications must be submitted by mail or in person to the local circuit clerk’s office at least 30 days before an election. Mailed applications must be postmarked by this date.

Automatic registration

Mississippi does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Mississippi does not permit online voter registration.

Same-day registration

Mississippi does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Mississippi, you must be a resident of the state for at least 30 days.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Prospective voters registering for the first time must provide either their Mississippi driver’s license number or social security number. If neither is available, they must submit "a copy of a current and valid photo ID or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document" showing their current address in order to verify their residency.

Verifying your registration

The site Y’all Vote, run by the Mississippi Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Early and absentee voting policy

Early voting

See also: Early voting

Mississippi does not permit early voting. In-person absentee voting is permitted. See here for more information about absentee voting requirements.

Absentee voting

See also: Absentee voting

The following types of Mississippi voters are eligible to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot:

• Voters who are required to be at work while the polling places are open on Election Day,
• Voters who will be out of town while the polling places are open on Election Day,
• Voters who are 65 or older,
• Voters who have a permanent or temporary physical disability, or
• Voters temporarily residing outside their county of residence

There is no specific deadline for applying for an absentee ballot. However, voters are encouraged to contact their local circuit or municipal clerk’s office to request an absentee ballot within 45 days of the election. Completed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within five business days of the election in order to be counted.

Returning absentee ballots

See also: Mail ballot collection and return laws by state

Completed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within five business days of the election in order to be counted.

Mississippi law does not specify whether someone may return absentee ballots on voters' behalf. Senate Bill 2358, which was signed into law on March 22, 2023, prohibits anyone other than an election official, postal officer, family member, household member, caregiver or commercial carrier from submitting a ballot on behalf of another individual. This law was temporarily blocked from taking effect by federal court order. Click here to learn more.

Signature requirements and cure provisions

Mississippi does not have a cure provision, or a law providing for a process where election officials follow up with voters about certain issues with signatures on their absentee ballots.

Was your absentee ballot counted?

As of April 2023, Mississippi did not have a statewide mail ballot tracking system.

Voter identification requirements

See also: Voter ID in Mississippi

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Mississippi requires voters to present photo identification while voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of April 2023. Click here for the Mississippi Secertary of State page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

• Driver's license (including a Digital ID provided by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety)
• Photo ID card issued by a branch, department, or entity of the State of Mississippi
• United States passport
• Government employee ID card
• Firearms license
• Student photo ID issued by an accredited Mississippi university, college, or community/junior college
• United States military ID
• Tribal photo ID
• Any other photo ID issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the United States government or any state government
• Mississippi Voter Identification Card

Voters can obtain a Mississippi Voter Identification Card for free at any circuit clerk’s office in Mississippi. Voters can apply for a card during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Voters who need transportation to a circuit clerk’s office can call the secretary of state’s voter ID toll-free hotline at 1-844-678-6837, visit www.MSVoterID.ms.gov, or email MSVoterID@sos.ms.gov to schedule a ride. Transportation is free of charge.

Background

See also: Mississippi Voter Identification Amendment, Initiative 27 (2011)

A 2011 voter ID amendment to the state constitution required an implementing statute and faced United States Department of Justice (DOJ) pre-clearance before it could take effect. In October 2012, the DOJ requested additional information about the law. Mississippi voters, therefore, did not have to show proof of identification to vote in the November 2012 general election. In January 2013, proposed administrative rules for the voter photo identification law were submitted to the DOJ for approval. These rules included a provision allowing for voters who lack an acceptable photo ID to obtain a free voter photo ID card by presenting the same identification materials accepted when a person registers to vote. Once the Supreme Court of the United States issued its ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, federal pre-clearance was no longer required. As a result, the voter ID law took full effect.

As of August 2023, 34 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 11 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 16 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.

Provisional balloting for voters without ID

A voter who does not have an acceptable form of identification can cast a provisional ballot, also known as an affidavit ballot. For this ballot to be counted, the voter must either provide the proper ID, apply for a Mississippi Voter ID Card, or submit a religious exemption form within five business days after the election.

Provisional ballot rules

Voters in Mississippi are given affidavit ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances.

(1) If the voter is unable to provide a valid form of photo identification, the voter has the right to cast an affidavit ballot.

• "A voter casting an affidavit ballot because he/she did not present an acceptable form of photo ID based upon a religious objection may not have his/her ballot rejected for this reason if he/she completes an Affidavit of Religious Objection in the Circuit or Municipal Clerk’s Office within five business days after Election Day," according to the Mississippi Voter Information Guide.
• "A voter casting an affidavit ballot because he/she did not present an acceptable form of photo ID may not have his/her ballot rejected for this reason if he/she presents an acceptable form of photo ID in the Circuit or Municipal Clerk’s Office within five business days after Election Day," according to the Mississippi Voter Information Guide.

(2) If the voter is not registered to vote because he or she "may have been illegally denied registration," the voter has the right to cast an affidavit ballot.

(3) If the voter’s name does not appear in the poll book, the voter has the right to cast an affidavit ballot.

(4) If the voter has recently moved to a new address, the voter has the right to cast an affidavit ballot.

(5) If the voter does not "qualify under state of federal law to cast a regular election Day Ballot," the voter has the right to cast an affidavit ballot.

For the affidavit ballot to be counted, the voter must either provide the proper ID, apply for a Mississippi Voter ID Card, or submit a religious exemption form within five business days after the election.

Was your provisional ballot counted?

A provisional ballot is rejected in the following circumstances:

• If the voter is not registered to vote;
• If the voter voted in the wrong precinct;
• If the voter failed to provide proper identification; or
• If the voter did not complete the Affidavit of Religious Objection in the circuit or municipal clerk’s office.

At least 10 days after the election, the voter can contact the party executive committee (in primary elections, the election commission (in general and special elections), or the circuit clerk to find out if his or her affidavit ballot was counted.

Local election officials

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

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Primary election type

See also: Primary elections in Mississippi

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Mississippi state law stipulates that an individual can only participate in a party's primary if he or she "intends to support the nominations made in the primary" in which he or she participates. However, this is generally considered an unenforceable requirement. Consequently, Mississippi's primary is effectively open.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Time off work for voting

Ballotpedia did not find a law specifying whether voters must be given time off from work to vote in this state. Nolo.com notes that states without such state laws may have administrative regulations or local ordinances pertaining to time off for voting and suggests calling your local board of elections or state labor department for more information.

If you know of a relevant policy in this state, please email us. As of 2020, 28 states had laws requiring employers to provide time off for voting under certain conditions.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for people convicted of certain felonies unconstitutional on August 4, 2023. Click here to read more about the ruling and subsequent appeal.

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.

Voter list maintenance

All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.

When names can be removed from the voter list

Mississippi law authorizes election officials to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:

• requests to be removed from the list
• is determined to have moved outside of their voting jurisdiction
• dies
• is adjudicated to be of unsound mind
• is convicted of a “disenfranchising crime” - for example, arson, armed robbery, extortion, or murder
• remains in inactive status through two federal general elections.

Inactive voter list rules

If election officials, using National Change of Address data and other address and voter verification resources, determine that a voter has moved outside of their voting jurisdiction, they are to send the voter a confirmation card and change their registration status to inactive. If the voter does not return the card and fails to vote in the next two federal general elections, they are to be removed from the voter rolls.

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

See also: Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records, to provide member states with detailed reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Each state pays annual dues, which are determined by a formula approved by the ERIC membership. The formula includes a state's citizen voting age population as a factor."

By 2022, 33 states and the District of Columbia had joined ERIC. As of August 2023, 26 states and the District of Columbia were members in the ERIC program.

As of August 2023, Mississippi was participating in the ERIC program.

Post-election auditing

Mississippi state law does not require post-election audits.

Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.

Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.

As of December 2023, 41 states and the District of Columbia required some form of post-election audit. Of these, 36 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, three states required risk-limiting post-election audits, and two states required procedural post-election audits.

Noteworthy events

Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for people convicted of a felony declared unconstitutional (2023)

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for people convicted of a felony unconstitutional on August 4, 2023, ruling that it violated the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

Previously, Mississippians convicted of one of the following felony offenses were permanently disqualified from voting by Article 12, Section 241 of the state's constitution: murder, rape, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement or bigamy. People convicted of other felony offenses automatically regained their voting rights upon completion of their sentence.

In 2018, a group of Mississippians who had lost their right to vote under Section 241 filed a class action lawsuit in the Northern U.S. District Court of Mississippi alleging that the state's practice of permanently disenfranchising people convicted of certain felonies violated the U.S. Constitution. The court disagreed and decided to uphold Sections 241 and 253 of Mississippi's constitution. (Section 253 required people convicted of disqualifying felonies to individually request voting rights restoration and receive a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of the state legislature.) The plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Mississippi filed an en banc petition on August 18. In September, the Fifth Circuit agreed to hear this appeal, which vacated its earlier ruling declaring voter disqualification for people convicted of a felony unconstitutional.

Federal judge temporarily blocks Mississippi's ballot collection law (2023)

On July 25, 2023, Henry Wingate, a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi issued an order temporarily blocking Senate Bill 2358, a recently enacted Mississippi law establishing rules for who is allowed to return absentee ballots on behalf of a voter.

S.B. 2358, which was signed into law on March 22, 2023, prohibited anyone other than the following individuals from submitting a ballot on behalf of another individual.

“

An election official while engaged in official duties as authorized by law. An employee of the United States Postal Service while engaged in official duties as authorized by law. Any other individual who is allowed by federal law to collect and transmit United States mail while engaged in official duties as authorized by law. A family member, household member, or caregiver of the person to whom the ballot was mailed. A common carrier that transports goods from one place to another for a fee. No parcel shall contain more than a single ballot. A person not on this list who knowingly collects and transmits a ballot that was mailed to another person is subject to criminal penalties.

”

Prior to S.B. 2358, Mississippi law did not specify who was allowed to return an absentee ballot on behalf of a voter. In May of 2023, Disability Rights Mississippi, the League of Women Voters of Mississippi and three voters filed a federal lawsuit challenging the law. The plaintiffs argued that the law made it harder for voters to cast a ballot and also risked disenfranchising disabled voters entirely, violating Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which guarantees that “[a]ny voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may be given assistance by a person of the voter’s choice’” so long as the assistor is not the “the voter’s employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of the voter’s union.”

Supporters of S.B. 2358 argued that it was necessary to prevent ballot harvesting, which is the practice of collecting and returning absentee ballots on behalf of others. In a 2023 video address, Governor Tate Reeves (R) said, "Senate Bill 2358 is now law and Mississippi's elections are safer because of it." He also said that ballot harvesting is an effort to undermine the democratic process and that "bad actors have used ballot harvesting to take advantage of elderly and vulnerable voters."

S.B. 2358 was scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2023. However, Judge Wingate's order has temporarily blocked implementation. As of August 2023, the law will not apply to the state's 2023 elections.

Election policy ballot measures

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Mississippi ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Mississippi.

1. Mississippi Voter Identification Amendment, Initiative 27 (2011)
2. Mississippi Candidate Districts, Amendment 5 (1987)
3. Mississippi Election of the Governor, Amendment 2 (1982)

Recent legislation related to election administration in Mississippi

The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Mississippi. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker

State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.

Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:

• Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
• We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
• And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan

The Ballot Bulletin

The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

Click here to view recent issues and subscribe.

Ballot access

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Mississippi

A cardboard ballot box at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

In order to get on the ballot in Mississippi, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Mississippi. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Mississippi." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Mississippi

"Gerrymandering"

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Mississippi's four United States Representatives and 174 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.

Mississippi was apportioned four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Mississippi after the 2020 census.

HIGHLIGHTS

Following the 2020 United States Census, Mississippi was apportioned four congressional districts, which was unchanged from the number it had after the 2010 census.

Mississippi's House of Representatives is made up of 122 districts; Mississippi's State Senate is made up of 52 districts.

In Mississippi, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature.

State process

See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures

In Mississippi, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. Congressional district lines are approved as regular legislation and are thus subject to veto by the governor. State legislative district boundaries are approved as a joint resolution; as such, they are not subject to gubernatorial veto.

If the legislature cannot approve a state legislative redistricting plan, a five-member commission must draw the lines. This commission comprises the chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the majority leaders of the Mississippi State Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives.

The Mississippi Constitution requires that state legislative district boundaries be contiguous. State statutes further require that state legislative districts "be compact and cross political boundaries as little as possible."

Election administration agencies

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Mississippi can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Mississippi County Election Officials

Click here for a list

Mississippi Secretary of State

Office address: Heber Ladner Building, 401 Mississippi Street

Jackson, Mississippi 39201-1004

Mailing address: P. O. Box 136

Jackson, Mississippi 39205-0136

Telephone: 601-576-2550

Tollfree: 800-829-6786

Fax: 404-651-9531

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Telephone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

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Recall

Democratic primaries 2024

• United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2024
• United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2024
• Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
• Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
• Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
• State legislative Democratic primaries, 2024

Republican primaries 2024

• United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2024
• United States House Republican Party primaries, 2024
• Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2024
• Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2024
• Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
• State legislative Republican primaries, 2024

See also

• 2024 election dates and deadlines
• Voting in Mississippi
• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Mississippi
• Redistricting in Mississippi

Elections in Mississippi

• Mississippi elections, 2023
• Mississippi elections, 2022
• Mississippi elections, 2021
• Mississippi elections, 2020
• Mississippi elections, 2019
• Mississippi elections, 2018
• Mississippi elections, 2017
• Mississippi elections, 2016
• Mississippi elections, 2015
• Mississippi elections, 2014

External links

• Mississippi Secretary of State - Elections