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Election administration in Mississippi
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies, procedures, and enforcement. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee/mail-in voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.
Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Mississippi:
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.[2]
Voter registration
- 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.[3][4]
Registration applicants must postmark or submit an application in person to the local circuit clerk’s office at least 30 days before an election. Mailed applications must be postmarked by this date.[4]
Automatic registration
Mississippi does not practice automatic voter registration.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Mississippi does not permit online voter registration.
Same-day registration
Mississippi does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Mississippi, you must be a resident of the state for at least 30 days.[4]
Verification of citizenship
Mississippi does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.[4]
In 2022, Gov. Tate Reeves (R) signed HB 1510 into law which requires election officials to verify an applicants citizenship status using the federal Systematic Alien Verification For Entitlements (SAVE) database, in addition to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety’s driver’s license and identification system.[5]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[6] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The site Y’all Vote, run by the Mississippi Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy
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.[7]
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.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee/mail-in voting
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
The following types of Mississippi voters are eligible to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot:[8][2]
- 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.[2][8]
Returning absentee/mail-in ballots
Completed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within five business days of the election in order to be counted.[8]
In Mississippi, a voter, a voter’s caregiver, a member of the voter’s family, or a member of the voter's household may return an absentee ballot by mail or in person.[9]
Mississippi law states:
| “ | A person shall not knowingly collect and transmit a ballot that was mailed to another person, except as follows:
|
” |
Twenty states allow anyone chosen by the voter to return a ballot on the voter's behalf, with certain exceptions, while 16 states allow anyone with certain relationships to the voter to return the voter's ballot. Four states allow only the voter to return the voter's ballot, with certain exceptions, and two states required voters to return their ballots by mail. Eight states and D.C. do not specify who may return ballots.
Signature requirements and cure provisions
Mississippi does not have a cure provision, or a law providing for a process where election officials follow up with voters about certain issues with signatures on their absentee ballots.[2]
Thirty-three states have laws that include cure provisions, while 17 states do not. One state, Pennsylvania, allows counties to establish a cure process.
Was your absentee/mail-in ballot counted?
Use the My Election Day tool provided by the Mississippi Secretary of State to check the status of your absentee/mail-in ballot.
Voter identification requirements
- See also: Voter ID in Mississippi
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
Mississippi requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[11]
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 MSVoterID@sos.ms.gov to schedule a ride. Transportation is free of charge.[12]
Click here to learn more about the background of Mississippi's law.
Thirty-five states require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 require voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 12 accept other forms of identification. The remaining 15 states do not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day.
Valid forms of identification differ by state. In certain states that require voters to provide identification, there may be exceptions that allow some voters to cast a ballot without providing an ID. To see more about these exceptions, see details by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.
Provisional balloting for voters without ID
A voter who does not have an acceptable form of identification can cast a provisional ballot, also known as an affidavit ballot. For this ballot to be counted, the voter must either provide the proper ID, apply for a Mississippi Voter ID Card, or submit a religious exemption form within five business days after the election.[2]
Provisional ballot rules
Voters in Mississippi are given affidavit ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances.[2][13]
(1) If the voter is unable to provide a valid form of photo identification, the voter has the right to cast an affidavit ballot.
- "A voter casting an affidavit ballot because he/she did not present an acceptable form of photo ID based upon a religious objection may not have his/her ballot rejected for this reason if he/she completes an Affidavit of Religious Objection in the Circuit or Municipal Clerk’s Office within five business days after Election Day," according to the Mississippi Voter Information Guide.
- "A voter casting an affidavit ballot because he/she did not present an acceptable form of photo ID may not have his/her ballot rejected for this reason if he/she presents an acceptable form of photo ID in the Circuit or Municipal Clerk’s Office within five business days after Election Day," according to the Mississippi Voter Information Guide.
(2) If the voter is not registered to vote because he or she "may have been illegally denied registration," the voter has the right to cast an affidavit ballot.
(3) If the voter’s name does not appear in the poll book, the voter has the right to cast an affidavit ballot.
(4) If the voter has recently moved to a new address, the voter has the right to cast an affidavit ballot.
(5) If the voter does not "qualify under state of federal law to cast a regular election Day Ballot," the voter has the right to cast an affidavit ballot.
For the affidavit ballot to be counted, the voter must either provide the proper ID, apply for a Mississippi Voter ID Card, or submit a religious exemption form within five business days after the election.[12]
Was your provisional ballot counted?
A provisional ballot is rejected in the following circumstances:[14]
- If the voter is not registered to vote;
- If the voter voted in the wrong precinct;
- If the voter failed to provide proper identification; or
- If the voter did not complete the Affidavit of Religious Objection in the circuit or municipal clerk’s office.
At least 10 days after the election, the voter can contact the party executive committee or the circuit clerk to find out if his or her affidavit ballot was counted.
Local election officials
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. |
Primary election type
- See also: Primary elections in Mississippi
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Mississippi state law stipulates that an individual can only participate in a party's primary if he or she "intends to support the nominations made in the primary" in which he or she participates. However, this is generally considered an unenforceable requirement. Consequently, Mississippi's primary is effectively open.[15][16]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Time off work for voting
Ballotpedia did not find a law specifying whether voters must be given time off from work to vote in this state. Nolo.com notes that states without such state laws may have administrative regulations or local ordinances pertaining to time off for voting and suggests calling your local board of elections or state labor department for more information.[17]
If you know of a relevant policy in this state, please email us.
Twenty-eight states require employers to grant employees time off to vote. Within these 28 states, policies vary as to whether that time off must be paid and how much notice must be given.
Voting rules 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 for life, according to Article 12, 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."[18] 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.[19]
Voter list maintenance
All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).[20] The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.[21]
When names can be removed from the voter list
Mississippi law authorizes election officials to remove the names of voters from the registered voting list if an individual:[22]
- requests to be removed from the list
- is determined to have moved outside of their voting jurisdiction
- dies
- is adjudicated to be of unsound mind
- is convicted of a “disenfranchising crime” - for example, arson, armed robbery, extortion, or murder
- remains in inactive status through two federal general elections.
Inactive voter list rules
If election officials, using National Change of Address data and other address and voter verification resources, determine that a voter has moved outside of their voting jurisdiction, they are to send the voter a confirmation card and change their registration status to inactive. If the voter does not return the card and fails to vote in the next two federal general elections, they are to be removed from the voter rolls.[22]
The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)
According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records and other sources, to provide member states with reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Members fund ERIC. New members pay a one-time membership fee of $25,000, which is reserved for technology upgrades and other unanticipated expenses. Members also pay annual dues. Annual dues cover operating costs and are based, in part, on the citizen voting age population in each state."[23]
Twenty-five states are participating members in the ERIC program. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have joined and participated in ERIC at some point.[24]
As of July 2024, Mississippi was participating in the ERIC program.
Post-election auditing
Mississippi state law requires post-election audits. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the "Secretary of State shall audit all 82 counties by randomly selecting from each of the congressional districts during the 2023, 2024, 2026 and 2027 general elections, and randomly selecting no more than 25% of the total precincts or no more than five precincts, whichever is less in each county."[25] Counties are randomly chose 90 days before an election, and the secretary of state must complete the audit by 120 days after the election.[26]
Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.[27][28]
Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.
Forty-six states and the District of Columbia require some form of post-election audit by law, excluding states with pilot programs. Of these, 39 states and the District of Columbia require traditional post-election audits, while three states require risk-limiting post-election audits, and three states require some other form of post-election audit, including procedural post-election audits.[29][27]
Noteworthy events
Fifth Circuit panel sets Election Day deadline to return absentee ballots (2024-2025)
In October 2024, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued an order finding that a Mississippi state law permitting election officials to count absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day—but received up to the fifth business day after—violated federal law establishing a day for the election of presidential electors and members of Congress. The panel's order overturned a July 2024 decision by a U.S. district court upholding Mississippi's law. In March 2025, the full Fifth Circuit declined to rehear the case en banc, leaving the panel's ruling in place. The ruling applied to states in the Fifth Circuit's jurisdiction: Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. At the time of the ruling, Texas law also permitted election officials to count ballots postmarked on Election Day and received by 5 p.m. on the day after.[30][31]
See below for a timeline of events and relevant documents in reverse chronological order.
- June 6, 2025
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson (R) filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court asking the court to review and reverse the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision in the case. The filing said, "That ruling defies statutory text, conflicts with this Court’s precedent, and—if left to stand—will have destabilizing nationwide ramifications. As five judges explained in dissenting from the denial of rehearing en banc, the decision is thus deeply wrong and raises an issue of exceptional importance. This Court should review that decision now and reject it."[43]
- April 18, 2025
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi paused proceedings in the case pending "the filing and disposition of a petition for a writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court and the conclusion of any Supreme Court proceedings on the merits."[42]
- March 14, 2025
The full Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals voted 10-5 to deny the petition to rehear the case, leaving the Election Day deadline in place. In the principal dissent, Judge James Graves wrote, "At a minimum, this case presents a question of exceptional importance: whether federal law prohibits states from counting valid ballots that are timely cast and received by election officials within a time period designated by state law. The substantial, if not overwhelming, weight of authority—including dictionary definitions, federal and state caselaw, and legislative history—counsels against the preemptive interpretation that the panel adopted."[41]
Concurring in the denial to rehear the case, Judge Andrew Oldham wrote, "According to the dissenting opinion, States should be free to accept ballots for as long as they’d like after Election Day. That is, of course, a question for Congress. But even if it was a question for federal judges, do our dissenting colleagues really think that federal law imposes no time limits at all on ballot acceptance?"[41]
Read the full opinion below.March 14 order denying petition to rehear - November 8, 2024
Two nonprofit appellees, Vet Voice Foundation and Mississippi Alliance for Retired Americans, filed a petition for a rehearing of the panel's decision en banc, before the full Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.[40]
- October 25, 2024
A panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals consisting of judges James Ho, Stuart Kyle Duncan, and Andrew Oldham overturned the district court's decision and ruled that absentee ballots must be received by Election Day to be counted for federal elections. The opinion held that "Congress statutorily designated a singular 'day for the election' of members of Congress and the appointment of presidential electors. Text, precedent, and historical practice confirm this 'day for the election' is the day by which ballots must be both cast by voters and received by state officials."[39] The panel declined to enforce a new deadline for the November 5, 2024, election due to the decision's proximity to Election Day. President Donald Trump (R) appointed all three judges on the panel during his first presidential administration. Read the full opinion below.
October 25 panel opinion
Full 5th U.S. Circuit Court reinstates Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for people convicted of certain felonies (2023-2025)
On July 18, 2024, the full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an August 2023 decision by a three-judge panel of the circuit 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. On January 27, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the ruling, leaving the law, and the 5th Circuit's decision, in place.[44]
Writing for the majority, Judge Edith Jones 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."[18] Addressing the plaintiffs, Jones wrote: "Do the hard work of persuading your fellow citizens that the law should change."[18][45]
In a dissenting opinion, Judge James Dennis, joined by the five other dissenting justices, wrote: "The independent limits that the Fourteenth Amendment place on disenfranchisement do not stand in the way of the irrefutable conclusion we draw from our faithful application of well-settled Eighth Amendment jurisprudence: it is cruel and unusual to punish individuals for life by permanently disenfranchising them after they have fulfilled all terms of their sentence."[46]
In a statement to The Hill, Jon Youngwood, counsel to one of the plaintiffs, wrote: "We remain confident in this case, and our clients remain committed to ensuring that their right to vote is restored."[18]
On August 4, 2023, a three-judge panel of 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared Mississippi's lifetime voting ban for people convicted of a felony unconstitutional, ruling that it violated the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.[47]
In response, Mississippi filed an en banc petition on August 18. In September, the Fifth Circuit agreed to hear this appeal, vacating its earlier ruling declaring voter disqualification for people convicted of a felony unconstitutional.[48][49] Oral arguments in the case began on January 23, 2024.[50]
Article 12, Section 241 of the state's constitution permanently disqualifies Mississippians convicted of one of the following felony offenses from voting: murder, rape, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement or bigamy. People convicted of other felony offenses automatically regain their voting rights upon completion of their sentence.[2][47]
In 2018, a group of Mississippians who had lost their right to vote under Section 241 filed a class action lawsuit in the Northern U.S. District Court of Mississippi alleging that the state's practice of permanently disenfranchising people convicted of certain felonies violated the U.S. Constitution. The court disagreed, upholding Sections 241 and 253 of Mississippi's constitution.[51] The plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.[47][52]
Federal judge temporarily blocks Mississippi's ballot collection law (2023)
On July 25, 2023, Henry Wingate, a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi issued an order temporarily blocking Senate Bill 2358, which established rules for who was allowed to return absentee ballots on behalf of another voter.[53]
S.B. 2358, which was signed into law on March 22, 2023, stipulated the following:[54]
| “ |
(1) A person shall not knowingly collect and transmit a ballot that was mailed to another person, except as follows:
(2) Any violation of this section shall be subject to the penalties of Section 97-13-37.[10] |
” |
Prior to S.B. 2358, Mississippi law did not specify who was allowed to return an absentee ballot on behalf of another voter. In May of 2023, Disability Rights Mississippi, the League of Women Voters of Mississippi and three voters filed a federal lawsuit challenging the law. The plaintiffs said the law made it harder for voters to cast a ballot and also risked disenfranchising disabled voters entirely, violating Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which guarantees that "[a]ny voter who requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write may be given assistance by a person of the voter’s choice" so long as the assistor is not the "the voter’s employer or agent of that employer or officer or agent of the voter’s union."[53][55]
Supporters of S.B. 2358 said it was necessary to prevent ballot harvesting, which is the practice of collecting and returning absentee ballots on behalf of others. In a 2023 video address, Governor Tate Reeves (R) said, "Senate Bill 2358 is now law and Mississippi's elections are safer because of it." He also said that ballot harvesting was an effort to undermine the democratic process and that "bad actors have used ballot harvesting to take advantage of elderly and vulnerable voters."[53]
S.B. 2358 was scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2023. As of August 2023, the law would not apply to the state's 2023 elections.[53][55]
Election policy ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Mississippi.
- Mississippi Voter Identification Amendment, Initiative 27 (2011)
- Mississippi Candidate Districts, Amendment 5 (1987)
- Mississippi Election of the Governor, Amendment 2 (1982)
The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Mississippi. The following information is included for each bill:
- State
- Bill number
- Official bill name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Sponsor party
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by most recent action. The table displays up to 100 results. To view more bills, use the arrows in the upper-right corner. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia
Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation TrackerBallotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker provides daily updates on legislative activity related to election policy in all 50 states.
Our election policy experts translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries. And because it's from Ballotpedia, our legislation tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan.
Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation ReportsBallotpedia publishes regular analysis of election administration legislation, including three full reports per year, providing ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting election policy in each state.
These reports deliver insights into partisan priorities, dive deep into notable trends, and highlight activity in key states.
Subscribe to The Ballot BulletinThe Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy.
The newsletter tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballot access
In order to get on the ballot in Mississippi, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.
- An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
- An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
- An individual can run as a write-in candidate.
This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Mississippi. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Mississippi
Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Mississippi's four United States Representatives and 174 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.[56][57][58][59]
Mississippi was apportioned four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information about redistricting in Mississippi after the 2020 census.
State process
- See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures
In Mississippi, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. Congressional district lines are approved as regular legislation and are thus subject to veto by the governor. State legislative district boundaries are approved as a joint resolution; as such, they are not subject to gubernatorial veto.[60]
If the legislature cannot approve a state legislative redistricting plan, a five-member commission must draw the lines. This commission comprises the chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, the attorney general, the secretary of state, and the majority leaders of the Mississippi State Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives.[60]
The Mississippi Constitution requires that state legislative district boundaries be contiguous. State statutes further require that state legislative districts "be compact and cross political boundaries as little as possible."[60]
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Mississippi can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Mississippi County Election Officials
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: info@ethics.state.ms.us
- 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: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Ballotpedia's election coverage
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party gubernatorial primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2026
- Democratic Party Attorney General primaries, 2026
- State legislative Democratic primaries, 2026
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2026
- Republican Party gubernatorial primaries, 2026
- Republican Party Secretary of State primaries, 2026
- Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2026
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2026
See also
- State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
- Factors affecting the speed of ballot counting and delivery of unofficial election results
- Voting in Mississippi
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Mississippi
- Redistricting in Mississippi
Elections in Mississippi
- Mississippi elections, 2025
- Mississippi elections, 2024
- Mississippi elections, 2023
- Mississippi elections, 2022
- Mississippi elections, 2021
- Mississippi elections, 2020
- Mississippi elections, 2019
- Mississippi elections, 2018
- Mississippi elections, 2017
- Mississippi elections, 2016
- Mississippi elections, 2015
- Mississippi elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ We use the term "absentee/mail-in voting" to describe systems in which requests or applications are required. We use the term "all-mail voting" to denote systems where the ballots themselves are sent automatically to all voters. We use the hyphenate term for absentee voting because some states use “mail voting” (or a similar alternative) to describe what has traditionally been called "absentee voting."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Voter Information Guide," accessed July 24, 2024 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "guide" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Information," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Application," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ Mississippi Free Press, "Gov. Reeves Signs Law Requiring Citizenship Checks For Voting in Mississippi," April 14, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting Information ," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting Information," accessed April 30, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "absenteeMS" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 9.0 9.1 Mississippi Legislature, 2024 Regular Session, "Senate Bill 2425 (As Sent to Governor)," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Mississippi Voter ID," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Mississippi Secretary of State, "HOW CAN I GET A MISSISSIPPI VOTER ID CARD?" accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ Justia, "Mississippi Election Code: 23.15.573," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Provisional Ballots," July 9, 2024
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed February 6, 2024
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ NOLO, "Taking Time Off to Vote," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 The Hill, "Court upholds Mississippi voting ban on people convicted of felonies," July 18, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," June 6, 2024
- ↑ As of May 2024, the Justice Department notes, "Six States (Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming) are exempt from the NVRA because, on and after August 1, 1994, they either had no voter-registration requirements or had election-day voter registration at polling places with respect to elections for federal office."
- ↑ The United States Department of Justice, "The National Voter Registration Act of 1993," accessed May 29, 2024
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Justia, "Mississippi Election Code: 23.15.3 Purging Laws," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ ERIC, "FAQ," accessed May 29, 2024
- ↑ ERIC, "Who We Are," accessed May 29, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Post-Election Audits," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office Elections Division, "Procedural Audits of Mississippi Elections," accessed October 4, 2024
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Post-Election Audits," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ Election Assistance Commission, "Election Audits Across the United States," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted in October 2024, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "Mississippi Mail-In Ballot Receipt Deadline Challenge (RNC)," accessed April 7, 2025
- ↑ Election Law Blog, "By 10-5 vote, 5th Circuit opts not to take en banc decision that found Mississippi absentee ballots must be returned by Election Day to count in federal races," accessed April 7, 2025
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, 1:24cv25 LG-RPM, Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief," January 26, 2024
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, 1:24-CV-00025-LG-RPM, 1:24-CV-00037-LG-RPM, Motion to Intervene as Defendant," March 6, 2024
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, 1:24-cv-25-LG-RPM, Statement of Interest of the United States," April 11, 2024
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, 1:24cv37-LG-RPM, 1:24cv25 LG-RPM, Memorandum Opinion and Order," July 28, 2024
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, 1:24cv25 LG-RPM, Notice of Appeal," August 2, 2024
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 24-60395, Amicus Curiae Brief of the United States," September 10, 2024
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 24-60395, Amici Curiae in Support of Defendants-Appellees," August 2, 2024
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 24-60395, Opinion," October 25, 2024
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 24-60395, Notice of Petition for Rehearing En Banc," November 8, 2024
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 Democracy Docket, "U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 24-60395, Order Denying Petition for Rehearing En Banc," March 14, 2025
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, 1:24cv25 LG-RPM, Agreed Order Staying Consolidated Cases," May 5, 2025
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "U.S. Supreme Court, Watson v. RNC, Petition for Write of Certiorari," June 6, 2025
- ↑ USA Today, "Cruel and unusual? Supreme Court declines to review Mississippi voting ban for convicted felons," January 27, 2025
- ↑ Election Law Blog, "En Banc Fifth Circuit Upholds Mississippi Felony Disenfranchisement Law," July 18, 2024
- ↑ United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, "No. 19-60662," July 18, 2024
- ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 NPR, "An appeals court blocks Mississippi's permanent ban on voting after certain felonies," August 4, 2023
- ↑ Magnolia Tribune, "Fifth Circuit panel overturns Mississippi felon voting ban, AG to seek review of decision by full court," August 8, 2023
- ↑ Bolts Magazine, "After 'Glimmer of a Moment,' Mississippi Once Again Shuts Out Aspiring Voters," October 27, 2023
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "Full 5th Circuit Rehears Challenge to Mississippi’s Jim Crow-Era Felony Disenfranchisement Law," January 23, 2024
- ↑ Section 253 required people convicted of disqualifying felonies to individually request voting rights restoration and receive a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of the state legislature.
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "5th Circuit Strikes Down Mississippi’s Jim Crow Era Felony Disenfranchisement Provision," August 4, 2023
- ↑ 53.0 53.1 53.2 53.3 NPR "A Mississippi law limits who can help mail-in voters. A federal court struck it down," July 26, 2023
- ↑ BillTrack50, "MS SB2358," accessed August 18, 2023
- ↑ 55.0 55.1 Democracy Docket, "CIVIL ACTION No.: 3:23-CV-350-HTW-LGI," July 25, 2023
- ↑ All About Redistricting, "Why does it matter?" accessed April 8, 2015
- ↑ Indy Week, "Cracked, stacked and packed: Initial redistricting maps met with skepticism and dismay," June 29, 2011
- ↑ The Atlantic, "How the Voting Rights Act Hurts Democrats and Minorities," June 17, 2013
- ↑ Redrawing the Lines, "The Role of Section 2 - Majority Minority Districts," accessed April 6, 2015
- ↑ 60.0 60.1 60.2 All About Redistricting, "Mississippi," accessed May 4, 2015
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