Voting in Mississippi

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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Mississippi:

See Election administration in Mississippi for more additional information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Voter registration

Eligibility and registration details

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.[1][2]

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.[2]

In-person voting

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.[3]

Voter identification

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Mississippi requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[4]

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.[5]

  • 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.[6]

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.[7]

Absentee/mail-in voting

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

The following types of Mississippi voters are eligible to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot:[8][3]

  • 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.[3][8]


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.

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.[9] 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.[10]

Election agencies

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See also: State election agencies

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

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

Noteworthy events

2018

On June 22, 2018, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law sent a letter to Delbert Hosemann, Mississippi's secretary of state, alleging that the state's voter registration deadline for federal primary runoff and special elections violated Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. That law requires that each state "ensure that any eligible applicant is registered to vote in an election," provided that he or she has registered "not later than the lesser of 30 days, or the period provided by State law, before the date of the election." In the past, Mississippi officials had construed state statutes to restrict participation in federal primary runoff and special elections to those voters who registered no more than 30 days prior to the preceding regular election. The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law asked that the state "immediately voluntarily undertake remedial action to bring the State into compliance with Section 8 of the NVRA, so that all eligible citizens will be able to participate in future runoff elections for federal offices in Mississippi including, if necessary, the November 27, 2018, runoff election for United States Senate."[11][12]

On July 12, 2018, Harold Pizzetta, Mississippi's assistant attorney general, issued a response to the complaint on Hosemann's behalf, noting that, moving forward, any voter who registered at least 30 days in advance of a federal primary runoff or special election would be eligible to vote in that election. This placed the registration deadline for the November 27, 2018, runoff election in Mississippi on October 29, 2018.[13]

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See also

Elections in Mississippi


External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Information," accessed April 30, 2023
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Application," accessed April 30, 2023
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Voter Information Guide," accessed April 30, 2023
  4. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Mississippi Voter ID," accessed April 30, 2023
  5. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Acceptable Voter IDs," accessed April 30, 2023
  6. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "HOW CAN I GET A MISSISSIPPI VOTER ID CARD?" accessed April 30, 2023
  7. ↑ Jerrick Adams, "Email communication with Mississippi Secretary of State," September 8, 2016
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 [https://www.sos.ms.gov/absentee-voting-information#ar03 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting Information," accessed April 30, 2023
  9. ↑ NPR, "An appeals court blocks Mississippi's permanent ban on voting after certain felonies," August 4, 2023
  10. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
  11. ↑ Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law," Re: Notice of non-compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993," June 22, 2018
  12. ↑ Hastings Tribune, "Mississippi updating voter registration deadline for runoffs," July 13, 2018
  13. ↑ State of Mississippi Attorney General, Civil Litigation Division, "Re: Notice of non-compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993," July 12, 2018
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