Mississippi residents who plan to vote in the Nov. 7 statewide elections must register to vote in-person by 5 p.m. today, Monday, Oct. 9, or have a mail-in voter registration application postmarked by Tuesday, Oct. 10. Information on registering to vote is below.
In-Person Voter Registration
Voters can register to vote in-person or update their voter registration to a new address at their local circuit clerk’s office, their municipal clerk’s office, at any state or federal agency offering government services (such as the Department of Human Services in Jackson) or when they get their driver’s license at their local Department of Public Safety or DMV. Voters must register 30 days before an election to cast a ballot unless that falls on a Sunday or legal holiday; in that case, both the in-person and postmark deadlines are extended to the next regular business day. The in-person voter registration deadline for the 2023 general election is Monday, Oct. 9 at 5 p.m.
You can find information for contacting your local election officials at this link.
Mail-In Voter Registration
To register to vote by mail, voters can fill out and print a copy of a voter registration form online at this link or obtain a form at their local circuit clerk’s office, municipal clerk’s office, public library or other participating government office.
If voters do provide a driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number on the form, they must send either a copy of a current and valid photo ID or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or any other document that shows their name and address.
Voters should mail the application to their local circuit clerk’s office in their county of residence. To cast a ballot in the Nov. 7 general election, voters must have the form postmarked by Tuesday, Oct. 10.
What’s On The Ballot?
Statewide offices:
- Governor
- Lieutenant governor
- Secretary of state
- Attorney general
- State auditor
- State treasurer
- Commissioner of agriculture and commerce
- Commissioner of insurance
The following local and regional offices are also on the ballot, including:
- Mississippi House representatives
- Mississippi senators
- Public service commissioners
- Transportation commissioners
- District attorneys
You can see a sample ballot at this link.
Who Is Eligible to Register to Vote?
The Mississippi Secretary of State’s website lays out the following qualifications for voter registration:
“Every U.S. citizen who possesses the following qualifications is eligible to register to vote in Mississippi: • A resident of Mississippi and the county, city, or town for 30 days prior to the election; • At least 18 years old (or will be 18 by the date of the next General Election); • Not declared mentally incompetent by a court; and • Not convicted of a disenfranchising crime as defined by Section 241 of the Mississippi Constitution or by Attorney General Opinion, unless pardoned, rights of citizenship restored by the Governor or suffrage rights restored by the Legislature.”
Verify Your Voter Registration
You can verify that your voter registration status is active and up-to-date at this link.
Voter ID Requirements
To cast a ballot, voters must bring an accepted form of photo identification under the state’s voter ID law. Accepted IDs include:
- A driver’s license
- A photo ID card issued by a branch, department, or entity of the State of Mississippi
- A U.S. passport
- A government employee ID card
- A firearms license
- A student photo ID issued by an accredited Mississippi university, college, or community/junior college
- A U.S. military ID
- A tribal photo ID
- Any other photo ID issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the U.S. government or any State government
- A Mississippi Voter Identification Card
More information on voter ID is available here.
How To Get A Free Voter Identification Card
Mississippians who do not have any of the above photo IDs may obtain a free Mississippi Voter Identification Card by visiting their local circuit clerk’s office (contact information and addresses for your county’s circuit clerk is available at this link). After applying for a voter-identification card, voters will receive the ID in the mail. However, voters who apply for a voter ID card within 45 days of an election may use the receipt they obtained from their circuit clerk’s office when applying for the card to vote on Election Day.
Any voter who shows up to the polls without either an accepted form of photo ID or a recent Mississippi Voter Identification Card application receipt can vote by affidavit. The vote will be counted only if the voter shows an accepted form of photo ID to the municipal clerk’s office within five business days after the election.
More information on voter ID is available here.
For more information on voting, including absentee voting which began on Sept. 25, visit www.sos.ms.gov/yall-vote. You can call the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Elections Answerline at 1-800-829-6786.
