Voting in Mississippi

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Election Information
2024 election dates and deadlines
Voting in 2024
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times

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Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its voting policies.

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

The table below displays voter registration information specific to Mississippi's 2024 election cycle.

Voter registration in Mississippi: March 12, 2024, election.

Could people register to vote online? If so, what was the link?

N/A

Could voters check their registration status online? If so, what was the link?

Could voters update their registration online? If so, what was the link?

What was the deadline for registering in person?

Feb. 12, 2024

What was the deadline for registering by mail?

Feb. 12, 2024

Was the mail-in registration deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Postmarked

What was the online registration deadline, if available?

N/A

Was Election Day registration available?

N/A

Was same-day registration available during early voting?

N/A

Voter registration in Mississippi: April 2, 2024, election.

Could people register to vote online? If so, what was the link?

N/A

Could voters check their registration status online? If so, what was the link?

Could voters update their registration online? If so, what was the link?

What was the deadline for registering in person?

March 4, 2024

What was the deadline for registering by mail?

March 4, 2024

Was the mail-in registration deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Postmarked

What was the online registration deadline, if available?

N/A

Was Election Day registration available?

N/A

Was same-day registration available during early voting?

N/A

Voter registration in Mississippi: Nov. 5, 2024, election.

Can people register to vote online? If so, what is the link?

N/A

Can voters check their registration status online? If so, what is the link?

Can voters update their registration online? If so, what is the link?

What is the deadline for registering in person?

Oct. 7, 2024

What is the deadline for registering by mail?

Oct. 7, 2024

Is the mail-in registration deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Postmarked

What was the online registration deadline, if available?

N/A

Is Election Day registration available?

N/A

Is same-day registration available during early voting?

N/A

Voter registration in Mississippi: Nov. 26, 2024, election.

Can people register to vote online? If so, what is the link?

N/A

Can voters check their registration status online? If so, what is the link?

Can voters update their registration online? If so, what is the link?

What is the deadline for registering in person?

Oct. 28, 2024

What is the deadline for registering by mail?

Oct. 28, 2024

Is the mail-in registration deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Postmarked

What was the online registration deadline, if available?

N/A

Is Election Day registration available?

N/A

Is same-day registration available during early voting?

N/A

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

The table below displays in-person voting information specific to Mississippi's 2024 election cycle.

In-person voting in Mississippi: March 12, 2024, election.

Were all voters required to show ID?

Yes

What kinds of ID were accepted?

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

Where could voters learn more about the state's voter ID requirements?

When did early voting start?

N/A

When did early voting end?

N/A

Where can I find early voting locations?

N/A

Was weekend voting available?

N/A

Where could voters learn more about early voting?

N/A

What were the poll times on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Where can I find voting locations?

In-person voting in Mississippi: April 2, 2024, election.

Were all voters required to show ID?

Yes

What kinds of ID were accepted?

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

Where could voters learn more about the state's voter ID requirements?

When did early voting start?

N/A

When did early voting end?

N/A

Where can I find early voting locations?

N/A

Was weekend voting available?

N/A

Where could voters learn more about early voting?

N/A

What were the poll times on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Where can I find voting locations?

In-person voting in Mississippi: Nov. 5, 2024, election.

Are all voters required to show ID?

Yes

What kinds of ID are accepted?

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

Where can voters learn more about the state's voter ID requirements?

When did early voting start?

N/A

When did early voting end?

N/A

Where can I find early voting locations?

N/A

Is weekend voting available?

N/A

Where can voters learn more about early voting?

N/A

What are the poll times on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Where can I find voting locations?

In-person voting in Mississippi: Nov. 26, 2024, election.

Are all voters required to show ID?

Yes

What kinds of ID are accepted?

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

Where can voters learn more about the state's voter ID requirements?

When did early voting start?

N/A

When did early voting end?

N/A

Where can I find early voting locations?

N/A

Is weekend voting available?

N/A

Where can voters learn more about early voting?

N/A

What are the poll times on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Where can I find voting locations?

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]

As of July 1, 2024, identification used to vote in Mississippi must be an official government document that "has no expiration date or has an issuance date not more than ten (10) years prior to the date" of voting.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name cannot be a simple integer. Use a descriptive titleClick here for the Mississippi Secretary of State page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information

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 [email protected] to schedule a ride. Transportation is free of charge.[5]

Early voting

See also: Early voting

Mississippi does not permit early voting. In-person absentee voting is permitted. Click here for more information about absentee voting requirements.[6]

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.


Absentee/mail-in voting

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

The table below displays absentee voting information specific to Mississippi's 2024 election cycle.

Absentee voting in Mississippi: March 12, 2024, election.

Were there limits on who can request a ballot?

Yes

What was the deadline for requesting a ballot by mail?

N/A

Was the request deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

N/A

What was the deadline for returning a voted ballot by mail?

March 12, 2024

Was the return deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Postmarked

Were there notary or witness requirements?

N/A

Absentee voting in Mississippi: April 2, 2024, election.

Were there limits on who can request a ballot?

Yes

What was the deadline for requesting a ballot by mail?

N/A

Was the request deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

N/A

What was the deadline for returning a voted ballot by mail?

April 2, 2024

Was the return deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Postmarked

Were there notary or witness requirements?

N/A

Absentee voting in Mississippi: Nov. 5, 2024, election.

Are there limits on who can request a ballot?

Yes

What was the deadline for requesting a ballot by mail?

N/A

Is the request deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

N/A

What is the deadline for returning a voted ballot by mail?

Nov. 5, 2024

Is the return deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Postmarked

Are there notary or witness requirements?

N/A

Absentee voting in Mississippi: Nov. 26, 2024, election.

Are there limits on who can request a ballot?

Yes

What was the deadline for requesting a ballot by mail?

N/A

Is the request deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

N/A

What is the deadline for returning a voted ballot by mail?

Nov. 26, 2024

Is the return deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Postmarked

Are there notary or witness requirements?

N/A

The following types of Mississippi voters are eligible to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot:[7][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][7]


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 people convicted of a felony


In Mississippi, felony convictions of murder, rape, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement or bigamy disqualify the individuals who commit these crimes from voting, according to Article 2, Section 241 of the state's constitution. Those convicted of a felony offense not enumerated in Mississippi's constitution automatically regain voting rights upon completion of their sentence.

For disqualifying felonies, individuals can regain their voting rights by receiving a pardon from the governor or by a two-thirds vote of both houses of the Mississippi legislature, as specified by Article 12, Section 253 of the state's constitution.

On July 18, 2024, the full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an August 2023 decision by a three-judge panel that held Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for people convicted of certain felonies to be unconstitutional. The full court ruled 13-6 that a portion of Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution prohibiting anyone convicted of a number of crimes from ever regaining the right to vote was not unconstitutional, reversing the 2-1 decision made by the panel. The majority wrote that finding the section unconstitutional "would thwart the ability of the State’s legislature and citizens to determine their voting qualifications, and would require federal courts overtly to make legislative choices that, in our federal system, belong at the State level."[8] See more here.

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.[9]


Election administration agencies

Election agencies

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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

Physical Address: Heber Ladner Building
401 Mississippi Street
Jackson, Mississippi 39201-1004
Mailing address: P. O. Box 136
Jackson, Mississippi 39205-0136
Phone: 601-576-2550
Toll free: 800-829-6786
Fax: 601-576-2545

Mississippi Ethics Commission

Physical Address: 660 North Street, Suite 100-C
Jackson, Mississippi 39202
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 22746
Jackson, Mississippi 39225
Phone: 601-359-1285
Fax: 601-359-1292
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.ethics.ms.gov

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 301-563-3919
Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.eac.gov


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."[10][11]

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.[12]

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See also

Elections in Mississippi


External links

Footnotes