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Voting & Elections Toolkits

Voting and advocacy resources by librarians for librarians

Updates for the 2024 Election

Last updated: February 16, 2024

Recent Changes:
Track your absentee or affidavit ballot, polling place, and view sample ballots at Mississippi's My Election Day.

2022 redistricting can change which candidates are on your ballot due to some boundary changes for US congressional and legislative districts.

A 2023 law that limits who can assist voters cast mail-in ballots was temporarily blocked by a federal court and is still in litigation. 

Voter Registration in Mississippi

Eligibility

  • Age: At least 18 on or before Election Day

  • You cannot register to vote if you have been convicted in a Mississippi state court of any of the following crimes: voter fraud, murder, rape, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement, bigamy, armed robbery, extortion, felony bad check, felony shoplifting, larceny, receiving stolen property, robbery, timber larceny, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, statutory rape, carjacking or larceny under lease or rental agreement

  • Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen

  • Residence: Must be a resident of Mississippi of the county, city, or town in which you are voting - for at least 30 days

  • Not declared mentally incompetent by a court

  • Never convicted of voter fraud or any other disenfranchising crime OR, if convicted, have had voting rights restored as required by law

  • Check to see if you are already registered 

More information:   Secretary of State's Elections & Voting

Deadlines

General Election Voter Registration Deadline in-person and by-mail postmark: October 7, 2024

UOCAVA Voter Registration Deadline: October 26, 2024

Election Calendar for 202

Online registration

There is no online registration.

Mail-in registration form

In-person registration: at: Circuit Clerk’s Office, Municipal Clerk’s Office, or
at a Public Service Agency (like DPS).

Refer to the box below for information about ID requirements.

 

             

 

ID Requirements for Mississippi Voters

ID Requirements for Registration

Online Registration

There is no online registration

In-person Or Mail-in Registration: print form

If you are registering for the first time in Mississippi and DO NOT have a Mississippi driver’s license or social security number, you must send with this application 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 that shows your name and address in this county.

 

ID Requirements for Voting

Any one of the following types of photo IDs may be used on Election Day:

  1. A driver's license (including a Digital ID provided by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety)
  2. A photo ID card issued by a branch, department, or entity of the State of Mississippi
  3. A United States passport
  4. A government employee ID card
  5. A firearms license
  6. A student photo ID issued by an accredited Mississippi university, college, or community/junior college
  7. A United States military ID
  8. A tribal photo ID
  9. Any other photo ID issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the United States government or any State government
  10. A Mississippi Voter Identification Card

Exemptions:

Any Mississippi registered voter who states he/she does not have an acceptable photo identification because of a religious objection to being photographed shall be entitled to vote by affidavit ballot without being required to show a photo ID. The ballot will not be rejected for this reason if the voter signs a separate affidavit before the Circuit Clerk within five days of the election. 

Any registered voter who resides at a state-licensed care facility and who votes in person at a a polling place located in that state-licensed care facility.

FAQ Voter ID

More information

Where to get an ID

Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau

Obtaining a Driver’s License

Identification cards - evidence that may be considered for proof of domicile

Obtaining a non-driver photo ID - at Circuit Clerk offices in Mississippi - call 1-844-678-6837  for more information. If you are an eligible Mississippi voter and need transportation assistance, we will provide a FREE ride to your Circuit Clerk's Office to get a Mississippi Voter ID Card. We will give you the names of local transportation providers to contact to make travel arrangements to fit your needs.  A transportation provider will pick you up, take you to the Circuit Clerk's Office and bring you home.  There is NO charge to you for the ride.

Casting a Ballot in Mississippi

Important Dates

  • General Election Voter Registration Deadline in-person and by-mail postmark: October 7, 2024

    UOCAVA Voter Registration Deadline: October 26, 2024

    Election Calendar for 202

  • General Election: November 5, 2024

  • Early voting: ... does not allow early in-person voting,          - per the Step-by-Step Absentee Guide  

Absentee voting

Opening/closing dates   - check the 2024 Elections calendar

  • September 6, 2024: Absentee Ballot Applications: Absentee ballot applications are available in the Circuit Clerks’ Office for the November 5, 2024 General Election. Absentee ballots will not be available at this time.
  • September 23, 2024: Absentee Ballots Available: Earliest day to vote by an absentee ballot in the Circuit Clerk’s Office in the General Election. Mail in ballots must be postmarked on or before November 5, 2024.
  • November 2, 2024: In-Person Absentee Voting Deadline, 12:00 p.m.: Circuit Clerks’ Offices OPEN from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
  • November 5, 2024: Mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before November 5, 2024.

Military voters and voters who reside outside the U.S. [UOCAVA]

  • Contact your Circuit Clerk to request an absentee ballot --    list of locations and contact information
  • Voter registration deadline is 10 days before election (using Federal Post Card Application (FPCA)).
  • November 5, 2024: UOCAVA Absentee Ballot Deadline, 7:00 p.m.: Absentee ballots received by the Circuit Clerks’ Offices by 7:00 p.m. from only UOCAVA voters by email or fax are timely.

Who is eligible to use an absentee ballot?

Voters unable to vote in person on Election Day may be eligible to vote by absentee ballot. Most absentee voters must appear before the Circuit Clerk or Municipal Clerk and absentee vote in person. A few categories of absentee voters may request a mailed ballot. Voters, who are required to be at work on Election or will be out of town, must absentee vote in person. Absentee voters, who are 65 or older, have a permanent or temporary physical disability, or are temporarily residing outside their county of residence may absentee vote by mail. Please check with your Circuit or Municipal Clerk to determine if you are entitled to vote by an absentee ballot and to learn the procedures for doing so.

Elections calendar for 2024

October 26, 2024: Absentee Voting: Circuit Clerks’ Office must be open from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

November 2, 2024: In-Person Absentee Voting Deadline, 12:00 p.m.: Circuit Clerks’ Offices OPEN
from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

Eligible voters casting an absentee ballot by mail do NOT have to show a photo ID

 

 

Polling places and hours

  • For the general election in 2024, polls in Mississippi are open from 7:00am to 7:00pm.
  • Time off to vote: Mississippi  does not require employers to give employees time off to vote.
  • Polling locations can be found at MyElectionDay

Rides to the polls

Many organizations offer free rides to polling places. Check your local newspaper or broadcast news station for these organizations.

Lyft and Uber sometimes offer discounted rides on election days.

Help for voters with disabilities

Provisions for the disabled can be found in From the Mississippi Election Code: Accommodations include absentee voting, ADA accessible polling places, and assistance at the polls.

 

 

Elections

Primaries vs. general elections

  • Primary elections are conducted to select each party’s candidates in the general election.
  • In Mississippi, a voter does not have to be a member of a political party in order to vote in that party’s primary. It is listed as an open primary state per the National Council of State Legislators.
  • In a general election, voters are not required to have a party affiliation.

Jurisdiction

Offices/Measures That May Appear on the Ballot

Federal (even years)

President/Vice-President (elected every four years; next election in 2024)

Senator (elected every six years for staggered terms; next election in 2024)

Representative (elected every two years)

State (odd years for most positions)

Governor/Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, Attorney General, Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, Transportation Commissioner, Public Service Commissioner (elected every four years; next election in 2023)

State Senator (elected every four years; next election in 2023)

State Representative (elected every four years; next election in 2023)

Supreme Court Justice (eight-year terms, from three districts; next election in 2020 for four justices)

Court of Appeals Judge (elected every four years; next election in 2022)

Circuit Court Judge (elected every four years; next election in 2022)

Chancery Court Judge (elected every four years; next election in 2022)

Levee Commissioner (elected every two years; next election in 2022)

Municipal (odd years)

School Board and other boards and commissions

Court offices - Sheriff, Chancery Clerk, Circuit Clerk, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, Coroner, County Attorney, Surveyor (elected every four years; next election in 2023)

County - Supervisor, Justice Court Judge, Constable, Election Commissioner (elected every four years; next election in 2023)

Mayor

Local ballot measures

Who are the candidates, and what else is on the ballot?

Important Dates

  • General Election is November 5 2022

 

   2022 Elections Calendar

 

Who conducts elections?

  • The Mississippi Secretary of State's Elections Division trains local elections officials, who run elections in Mississippi, and collects campaign finance and lobbying reports​. The Division also manages the statewide vot​er registry and collects election returns.

Voter Bill of Rights

Mississippi does not have a voter bill of rights. A summary of federal and Mississippi voter rights can be found from the NAACP.

See the Mississippi Election Code

Where to go with complaints about candidates or how elections are conducted

HAVA (Help America Vote Act) Complaint form - Mississippi

Campaign finance

The Mississippi campaign finance online filing system provides access to campaign finance disclosure reports. This includes reports from political committees supporting or opposing those candidates or statewide balloted measures. Secretary of State website for Elections & Voting has contact information.

 

  

General Resources on Voting and Elections

General Resources on Voting and Elections


Election Protection Hotlines


1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)

1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) (en Español)

1-888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) (Asian multilingual assistance)

1-844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) (Arabic)


Voter Registration & Election Day Resources

Find useful voter information including:

  • Local Election Office and Contact Information
  • Address, Telephone and Email for Local Election Offices
  • Upcoming Federal Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Upcoming State Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Identification Requirements
  • Voter Materials Transmission Options
  • State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered? Where’s my Ballot?

Population-Specific information and Resources

Voting Rights: Laws, Cases, Policy

Voter Engagement

Voter Education

Campaign Finance/Funding Information

Primary Sources, Lesson Plans & Exhibits

Disclaimer

Librarians from the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT), a Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA), created these reference guides. These guides are intended for informational purposes only and are not in any way intended to be legal advice.

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These guides are designated with a Creative Commons license and re-use and modification for educational purposes is encouraged.

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