Election administration in Mississippi

Election Information
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
Time off work for voting
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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.

THE BASICS

Mississippi does not permit online voter registration.

Mississippi does not permit early voting.

Mississippi requires an excuse for absentee/mail-in voting.

In Mississippi, polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Mississippi requires photo identification to vote.

Mississippi holds open primary elections.

Mississippi has an online tool for verifying voter registration.

Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Mississippi:

• Poll times
• Voter registration
• Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy
• Voter identification requirements
• Provisional ballot rules
• Primary election type
• Time off work for voting
• Electioneering
• Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

• Voter list maintenance
• Post-election auditing
• Election administration authorities
• Noteworthy events
• Election policy ballot measures
• Election policy legislation
• Ballot access
• Redistricting
• Contact information

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.

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.

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.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter 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

See also: Same-day voter 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.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

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.

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. 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, but a voter must qualify. The following types of voters are eligible to cast an in-person absentee ballot:

“

Any qualified elector who is a bona fide student, teacher or administrator at any college, university, junior college, high, junior high, or elementary grade school whose studies or employment at such institution necessitates his or her absence from the municipality of his or her voting residence on the date of any primary, general or special election, or the spouse and dependents of that student, teacher or administrator if such spouse or dependent(s) maintain a common domicile, outside of the municipality of his or her voting residence, with such student, teacher or administrator. Any qualified elector who is required to be away from his or her place of residence on any election day due to his or her employment as an employee of a member of the Mississippi congressional delegation and the spouse and dependents of such person if he or she shall be residing with such absentee voter away from the municipality of the spouse's voting residence. Any qualified elector who is away from his or her residence within the municipality on election day for any reason. Any person who has a temporary or permanent physical disability and who, because of such disability, is unable to vote in person without substantial hardship to himself, herself or others, or whose attendance at the voting place could reasonably cause danger to himself, herself or others. The parent, spouse or dependent of a person with a temporary or permanent physical disability who is hospitalized outside of his or her residence within the municipality or more than fifty (50) miles distant from his or her residence, if the parent, spouse or dependent will be with such person on election day. Any person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older. Any member of the Mississippi congressional delegation absent from Mississippi on election day, and the spouse and dependents of such member of the congressional delegation. Any qualified elector who will be unable to vote in person because he or she is required to be at work on election day during the times at which the polls will be open or on-call during the times when the polls will be open.

”

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

Mississippi requires a voter to have an excuse to cast an absentee ballot by mail. The following types of Mississippi voters are eligible to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot:

“

Any person who is temporarily residing outside of their municipality of residence, and the ballot must be mailed to an address outside the municipality. Any person who has a temporary or permanent physical disability and who, because of such disability, is unable to vote in person without substantial hardship to himself, herself or others, or whose attendance at the voting place could reasonably cause danger to himself, herself or others. The parent, spouse or dependent of a person with a temporary or permanent physical disability who is hospitalized outside of his or her county of residence or more than fifty (50) miles distant from his or her residence, if the parent, spouse or dependent will be with such person on election day. Any person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older. Any incarcerated individual who has not been convicted of a disenfranchising crime. Residency of incarcerated individuals is determined by the residence of the person prior to his/her incarceration.

”

There is no specific deadline for applying for an absentee ballot. Voters can contact their local circuit or municipal clerk’s office to request an absentee ballot beginning 45 days before an 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.

Note: Per an October 2024 decision from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, ballots must be received by the close of polls on Election Day to be counted. Litigation in this case is ongoing, see here for more information.

Returning absentee/mail-in ballots

See also: Mail ballot collection and return laws by state

Mississippi law stipulates that completed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received within five business days of the election in order to be counted.

Note: Per an October 2024 decision from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, ballots must be received by the close of polls on Election Day to be counted. Litigation in this case is ongoing, see here for more information.

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.

Mississippi law states:

“

A person shall not knowingly collect and transmit a ballot that was mailed to another person, except as follows: (a) An election official while engaged in official duties as authorized by law. (b) An employee of the United States Postal Service while engaged in official duties as authorized by law. (c) Any other individual who is allowed by federal law to collect and transmit United States mail while engaged in official duties as authorized by law. (d) A family member, household member, or caregiver of the person to whom the ballot was mailed. (e) A common carrier that transports goods from one place to another for a fee. No parcel shall contain more than a single ballot.

”

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.

Drop box availability

Mississippi state law explicitly prohibits the use of ballot drop boxes. State law says that "the use of drop boxes or other mechanisms to submit a completed absentee ballot other than by mail or common carrier, shall be prohibited."

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.

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.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of July 2025.

“

1. A valid Mississippi driver’s license (includes Mississippi Mobile ID, issued by Department of Public Safety]) 2. A valid identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the State of Mississippi; 3. A valid United States passport 4. A valid employee photo identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the United States government, the State of Mississippi, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state 5. A current and valid Mississippi license to carry a pistol or revolver, containing a photo of the voter 6. A valid tribal photo identification card 7. A valid United States military photo identification card 8. A current and valid student photo identification card, issued by any accredited college, university or community or junior college in the State of Mississippi 9. An official Mississippi Voter Identification Card 10. Any current and valid photo ID not listed above issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the United States government any other state government

”

To view Mississippi state law pertaining to voter identification, click here.

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.

Click here to learn more about the background of Mississippi's law.

Thirty-six states require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 24 require voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 12 accept other forms of identification. The remaining 14 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.

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.

(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 they "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.

Was your provisional ballot counted?

A provisional, or affidavit ballot is rejected in the following circumstances:

• If the voter is not registered to vote;
• If the voter voted in the wrong precinct;
• If the voter failed to provide proper identification within five business days of the election; or
• If the voter did not complete the Affidavit of Religious Objection in the circuit or municipal clerk’s office within five business days of the election.

Mississippi voters can use the My Election Day tool provided by the Mississippi Secretary of State to check the status of their provisional ballot.

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.

In Mississippi, primaries are open, meaning any registered voter may vote in the primary of their choice. State law says: "No person shall vote or attempt to vote in the primary election of one (1) party when he or she has voted on the same date in the primary election of another party."

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.

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.

Electioneering

Mississippi state law restricts certain activities within 150 feet of polling location.

State law says: "No candidate for an elective office, or any representative of such candidate, and no proponent or opponent of any constitutional amendment, local issue or other measure printed on the ballot may post or distribute cards, posters or other campaign literature within one hundred fifty (150) feet of any entrance of the building wherein any election is being held. No candidate or a representative named by him or her in writing may appear at any polling place while armed or uniformed, or display any badge or credentials except as may be issued by the manager of the polling place."

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

See also: Voting rights 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.

For more information on the background of this law, see here.

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). 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.

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:

• 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.

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

See also: 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."

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.

As of September 2025, Mississippi was not 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... 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." Counties are randomly chose 90 days before an election, and the secretary of state must complete the audit by 120 days after the election.

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.

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.

Election administration authorities

State election officials

In Mississippi, the secretary of state is the chief election official. There is no state board of elections or equivalent authority. The secretary of state is elected by popular vote every four years and re-election is not restricted by term limits .

Click here to access the secretary of state's elections page.

Local election officials

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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.

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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.

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."

• 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."

• 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."
  
  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?"
  
  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.

• 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." 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

• September 10, 2024

  The U.S. Department of Justice filed a brief in the case urging the Fifth Circuit court to affirm the lower court's decision upholding the receipt deadline. One day later, the attorneys general of 18 states and D.C. filed a brief in support of the appellees (the defendants in the original complaint).

• August 2, 2024

  The RNC filed a notice of appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

• July 28, 2024

  District court judge Louis Guirola issued an order upholding the deadline by denying the plaintiff's motions for summary judgment and granting the defendant's. The opinion found that the plaintiff's did have standing but that "Mississippi’s statutory procedure for counting lawfully cast absentee ballots, postmarked on or before election day, and received no more than five business days after election day is consistent with federal law and does not conflict with the Elections Clause, the Electors’ Clause, or the election-day statutes." Read the full opinion below.

  July 28 district court opinion

• April 11, 2024

  The Biden administration's Department of Justice filed a statement of interest in the case.

• March 7, 2024

  The court partially granted a Democratic National Committee (DNC) request to intervene. Read the order here.

• January 26, 2024

  The Republican National Committee (RNC) filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi asking the court to require the return of absentee ballots by Election Day for federal elections. Under Mississippi law, election officials counted ballots postmarked by Election Day and received no later than the fifth day after. Read the complaint here.
  The case was consolidated with other similar challenges as RNC v. Wetzel.

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View all

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.

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." Addressing the plaintiffs, Jones wrote: "Do the hard work of persuading your fellow citizens that the law should change."

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."

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."

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.

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. Oral arguments in the case began on January 23, 2024.

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.

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. The plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

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.

S.B. 2358, which was signed into law on March 22, 2023, stipulated the following:

“

(1) A person shall not knowingly collect and transmit a ballot that was mailed to another person, except as follows: (a) An election official while engaged in official duties as authorized by law. (b) An employee of the United States Postal Service while engaged in official duties as authorized by law. (c) Any other individual who is allowed by federal law to collect and transmit United States mail while engaged in official duties as authorized by law. (d) A family member, household member, or caregiver of the person to whom the ballot was mailed. (e) A common carrier that transports goods from one place to another for a fee. No parcel shall contain more than a single ballot. (2) Any violation of this section shall be subject to the penalties of Section 97-13-37.

”

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."

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."

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.

Election policy ballot measures

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Mississippi ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Mississippi.

1. Mississippi Voter Identification Amendment, Initiative 27 (2011)
2. Mississippi Candidate Districts, Amendment 5 (1987)
3. Mississippi Election of the Governor, Amendment 2 (1982)

Recent legislation related to election administration in Mississippi

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

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Ballot access

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Mississippi

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.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. 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.

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.

HIGHLIGHTS

Following the 2020 United States Census, Mississippi was apportioned four congressional districts, which was unchanged from the number it had after the 2010 census.

Mississippi's House of Representatives is made up of 122 districts; Mississippi's State Senate is made up of 52 districts.

In Mississippi, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature.

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.

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.

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."

Contact information

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

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

Click here for a list

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

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Recall

Democratic primaries 2026

• 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
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Republican 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

• Election laws and legislation in Mississippi
• 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

• Mississippi Secretary of State - Elections