How to Vote in Mississippi's 2024 Elections

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Last day to register to vote: Monday, Oct. 7
Absentee mail ballot return deadline: Wednesday, Nov. 13 (postmarked by Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5)
In-person absentee voting: Monday, Sept. 23, through Saturday, Nov. 2, at noon
Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 5

• Voter registration: The deadline to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 7. Visit the state’s registration verification page to check your status.
  
• Absentee voting: Mail-in absentee ballots are only available to some voters, including people who are 65 or older, those who are disabled, and people on call for work. 
  
• Early voting: Only people who qualify may vote early in-person, including voters who need to work or will be out of their county on Election Day, and voters 65 or older. 
  
• Voting at the polls: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT. Bring an acceptable form of photo ID, such as your driver’s license or U.S. passport. 

Lawmakers in May 2024 approved legislation that expands eligibility for absentee voting. Those who work on call, such as in health care, and individuals who are incarcerated in the county where they are registered to vote, but not convicted of a disqualifying crime, are now eligible. The legislation, effective July 1, also prohibits voters from hand-delivering mail-in ballots or using drop boxes. They must be returned by mail or through a common mail carrier like UPS or FedEx.

Voters can track absentee ballots, check polling places and view sample ballots online through the state’s My Election Day tool, which launched in July 2023.

Redistricting in 2022 changed certain boundaries of some legislative and U.S. congressional districts and may affect which candidates appear on your ballot.

The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 5 general election is Monday, Oct. 7. Your application must be postmarked by the deadline if you’re registering by mail.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

• By mail: Download the voter registration application from the secretary of state’s website and send the completed form to your county circuit clerk’s office. Postage is required. You may also pick up an application at your circuit clerk’s office, your municipal clerk’s office or a public library, or call your circuit clerk’s office to be mailed a copy of the form.
  
• In person: Visit your county circuit clerk’s office or municipal clerk’s office, or register when you get your driver’s license through the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. 

Mississippi does not permit voter registration on Election Day.

Not everyone is allowed to vote absentee using a mail-in ballot. Voters who qualify may be:

• Anyone 65 or older 
• Temporarily living outside their county of residence  
• Temporarily or permanently physically disabled and unable to vote in person  
• The parent, spouse or dependent of someone hospitalized more than 50 miles away from home, if that voter is with the hospitalized person on Election Day  
  

Contact your county circuit clerk’s office to see if you qualify. If you do, request that an application be mailed to you. You must indicate on the application your reason for voting absentee.

Mail-in absentee ballot applications must be notarized, unless you have a temporary or permanent disability. In that case, you’ll need a witness 18 or older to sign. Mail the application to your county circuit clerk’s office. 

Absentee voting begins Monday, Sept. 23, for the general election. Your county circuit clerk’s office will mail your ballot within one day of receiving your application.

Completed ballots must be returned by mail to your county circuit clerk’s office and postmarked on or before Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 5, for the general election. Postage is required. Ballots must arrive by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, for your vote to count.

Mail-in absentee ballots require a witness signature and will come with instructions about who qualifies as a witness.

For more information on absentee voting, visit yallvote.ms. 

Track your absentee ballot by logging in to the secretary of state’s My Election Day tool.

Mississippi offers in-person absentee voting before Election Day, but only to those who qualify. Some of those who are eligible include:

• Anyone 65 or older
• People with a physical disability
• Voters who are required to be away for work on Election Day 
• Those who need to be at work during Election Day poll hours 

In-person absentee voting begins as soon as absentee ballots are available. For the general election, in-person absentee voting ends Saturday, Nov. 2, at noon. You may cast your ballot during regular business hours at your county circuit clerk’s office. Check with your county circuit clerk’s office for more details about when and where to vote.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Use the secretary of state's My Election Day tool to find your polling place. If you’re in line before the polls close, you’ll be allowed to vote.

If you have questions about where to vote, contact your county circuit clerk’s office, email the secretary of state’s office at ElectionsAnswers@sos.ms.gov or call the elections hotline at 800-829-6786. Use the secretary of state’s My Election Day tool to view sample ballots when they’re available.

Voters must show an acceptable photo ID, such as a driver’s license or U.S. passport when casting a ballot in person. Visit yallvote.ms for a list of acceptable identification options. You may use an expired ID as long as it is no more than 10 years old.

If you don’t have a driver’s license or another photo ID, you can get a Mississippi voter ID card for free at any circuit clerk’s office.

If you don’t have a photo ID when you arrive at your polling place, you still may vote by affidavit ballot. For your vote to count, you must bring an acceptable photo ID to your circuit clerk’s office (or apply for a Mississippi Voter ID card) by Wednesday, Nov. 13, for the general election.

If you have questions about photo IDs or getting a voter ID card, email MSVoterID@sos.ms.gov or call 844-678-6837.

If you have a disability, you’re eligible to vote absentee. You may sign up to be on the permanently disabled voter list to be sent an absentee ballot automatically. You must include a statement from your doctor or nurse practitioner with your application. Contact your county circuit clerk’s office for more information.

If you need help casting your ballot, you may choose someone to assist you, with a few exceptions, such as your employer or union official or a candidate or their poll watcher.

If you live in a nursing home or long-term care facility, you are eligible to vote by absentee ballot and may qualify to be placed on the permanent disabled voter list for your convenience. Reach out to your county circuit clerk’s office for information.


Editor’s note: This guide was originally published on Dec. 29, 2023. It has been updated to reflect new information about the 2024 elections.

Natalie Missakian contributed to this story.

Michelle Tuccitto Sullo is a contributing writer covering state and federal policy. She previously served as managing editor of the Hartford Business Journal in Connecticut and has worked for the New Haven Register, Connecticut Law Tribune and New Haven Biz.

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