Mississippi voters living in towns and cities across the state are voting in municipal elections today to choose mayors and leaders for city councils and boards of aldermen. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If no candidate earns more than 50% of the vote in a particular election, the race will head to a general election runoff between the two candidates with the most votes on Tuesday, June 24.

Who Can Vote

Any Mississippi resident who registered to vote at least 30 days before the primaries may vote on Tuesday.

If you registered to vote in the past but are not sure whether your voter registration is active or if you are registered at your current residence, you can check your registration status at this link.

If a registered voter’s name does not appear in the poll book, that voter has the right under Mississippi law to request an affidavit ballot. Affidavit voters are entitled to be notified whether or not their votes are counted and, if not, why.

Where To Vote

The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office’s My Election Day tool provides voters with polling place location information. However, Mississippi Free Press investigations have found that the polling place information the tool uses is not always correct.

You can contact your county election officials to verify your polling place using the contact information provided on the Secretary of State’s website.

When To Vote

Polls statewide are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3. Any voter who is in line by 7 p.m. can vote if they remain in line.

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

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 are 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 circuit clerk’s office within five business days after the election.

More information on voter ID is available here.

Overseas and Military Voters

Mississippians who reside overseas, including military service members, can vote by email. For more information, contact the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Elections Hotline at 1-800-829-6786 or send an email to UOCAVA@sos.ms.gov.

Polling Place Reminders

The secretary of state’s office has repeatedly provided these reminders ahead of elections.

  • It is unlawful to campaign for any candidate within 150 feet of any entrance to a polling place, unless on private property.
  • The polling places should be clear 30 feet from every entrance of all people except for election officials, voters waiting to vote, or authorized poll watchers.
  • Voters are prohibited from taking pictures of their marked ballot.

For Future Elections

If you are not already registered to vote, you will not be able to cast a ballot in the June 3 elections, but you can find information on how to register to vote in future elections at this link.

Voters who need to update their voter registration information can do so at this link.

The mission of the Mississippi Free Press, a new nonprofit journalism website and multimedia network that launched in March 2020, is to publish deep public-interest reporting into causes of and solutions to the social, political and structural challenges facing all Mississippians and their communities. Mississippians need to know each other across regions and share our challenges and solutions despite geographic and other differences. We are introducing Mississippians to each other through our deep accountability reporting and compelling people-focused storytelling, and by convening online and physical “solutions circles,” using our statewide networks to ensure inclusivity and representation.