Mississippi voters can get a free Mississippi Voter Identification Card if they do not have an accepted form of photo identification, like a driver’s license, under the state’s voter ID law.
To get a voter ID card, registered voters can visit the local circuit clerk’s office in the county where they are registered to vote and show the clerk a form of official identification, such as a birth certificate, passport, Medicaid or Medicare card, recent utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, IRS form or any other government document issued within the past year.
If a voter does not have a form of official identification, they can tell the clerk their full legal name, date of birth, state of birth or mother’s maiden name to verify their identity.
After the clerk checks the identification, the voter will have to fill out a four-step ID application. The application asks the voter to affirm their status as a registered voter in Mississippi and to affirm that they do not have any form of acceptable photo identification. Mississippi voters can only get a free voter ID card if they do not have any other form of photo identification.
The Mississippi Secretary of State’s website notes that acceptable forms of photo identification include:
- A driver’s license (including a Digital ID from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety)
- 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
After a voter confirms that they do not have any of the above forms of photo ID, they will provide their name, address, date of birth, the county they live in and the last four digits of their social security number. Step three asks voters to check off the document that verifies their identity. If a voter uses their birth information to verify their identity, then they must provide their gender, mother’s maiden name and county or state of birth. The final step of the application process is to sign and date the form.
After the voter completes the form, the clerk will take a photo to use on their card. The clerk will mail the voter ID card to the applicant. If an upcoming election is within 45 days, the circuit clerk will give the voter a receipt to use as their voter ID card on Election Day in case the card does not arrive in time.
Only registered voters can get a voter ID card.
Certain voters are exempt from showing their photo IDs when voting: those who vote absentee by mail, fax or email; voters who have religious objections to being photographed; and “any registered voter who resides at a state-licensed care facility and who votes in person at a polling place located in that state-licensed care facility.”
Mississippians can vote by affidavit ballot if they arrive to vote without an acceptable form of photo ID or a new Mississippi Voter Identification Card receipt, but the voter must show the circuit clerk’s office a form of ID within five business days of the election for their vote to count.
More information on voter ID is available here.
Mississippians will vote for presidential, congressional, judicial and regional offices on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. Any eligible registered voter who registered to vote in person by Oct. 7 or had their voter registration application postmarked by Oct. 7 can cast a ballot in the general election.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Contact your local circuit clerk or election commissioners for polling place information. Voters must bring an accepted form of voter ID to the polls. For more information, visit sos.ms.gov/yall-vote.