Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey.

Voting in Mississippi

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search

What's on your ballot?
Find out using Ballotpedia’s Sample Ballot Tool


Election Policy VNT Logo.png
Election Information
2025 election and voting dates
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
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its voting policies.

The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Mississippi:

Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.

For information on elections happening this year, click here.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Voter registration

Eligibility and registration details

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.[1][2]

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.[2]

In-person voting

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.[3]

Voter identification

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Mississippi requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[4]

The following list of accepted ID was current as of July 2025.[5]

“

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[6]

”

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.[7]

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:[8]

“
  • 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.[6]
 ”

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:[9][3]

“
  • 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.[6]
 ”

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.[3][9]

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.


Local election officials

U.S. Vote Foundation Logo.jpeg

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.

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.



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


Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia

  • Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
    Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
    Ballotpedia'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.
    Search bills
  • Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
    Read Ballotpedia's State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
    Ballotpedia 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.
    Read the latest report
  • Subscribe to The Ballot Bulletin

    Subscribe to The Ballot Bulletin
    The 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.
    Subscribe


Ballotpedia's election coverage

Click the tiles below to navigate to 2025 election coverage:


Democratic primaries 2026
Republican primaries 2026

See also

Elections in Mississippi


External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Information," accessed September 17, 2025
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Application," accessed September 17, 2025
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Voter Information Guide," accessed September 17, 2025
  4. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Mississippi Voter ID," accessed September 17, 2025
  5. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Acceptable Photo IDs," accessed September 17, 2025
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  7. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "How to get a MS Voter ID Card." accessed September 17, 2025
  8. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting Information," accessed September 17, 2025
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting Information," accessed September 17, 2025
v • e
Election information
Resources
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Elections
by state
2025 elections
2024 elections
2023 elections
2022 elections
2021 elections
2020 elections
How to vote
in each state
Flag of Mississippi
v • e
State of Mississippi
Jackson (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Voting_in_Mississippi&oldid=10373343"