Mississippi

Land Acknowledgement

Mississippi is home to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. It is also the traditional homeland of many tribes.

Overview

You can register to vote by mail or in person. The deadline to register in person is October 10. The deadline to register to vote by mail is October 11. If you vote by mail, you must have both your absentee ballot application and absentee ballot notarized.

Key Dates

September 26 – Early absentee voting begins

October 10 – In person voter Registration deadline

October 11 – Deadline to postmark your mail-in voter registration

November 4 – Early absentee voting ends

November 8 – Election Day!

Contacts

Mississippi Voting Guide

Note: The information below is not legal advice on how to vote. Because voting information is changing rapidly during this election, make sure you check the links provided and check with your state about deadlines and voting specifics.

Registering to Vote

  • The deadline to register to vote in person is October 10. If you register to vote by mail, your registration must be postmarked by October 11.

  • Yes. If you live in Attala, Carroll, Jackson, Jones, Kemper, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Scott, or Winston county you can get election materials in Choctaw.

  • You must provide either your Mississippi driver's license number or your Social Security Number. If you do not have either, you can provide a copy of a current and valid photo ID or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address in this county.

  • You must provide the address where you live. If you live in an area without house numbers or street names, you can include a drawing of your location.

  • Contact your County Election official. Find information here.

  • You can get a driver's license or State ID from the Department of Public Safety. Find information here.

  • No.

  • No.

  • Yes. You can register to vote at your County Circuit Clerk or Municipal Clerk office, or at the Department of Public Safety when you get your driver's license. Find County information here.

  • Yes. You can download and print a voter registration form and mail it to your County Circuit Clerk office. Find the registration form and mailing addresses here.

  • Maybe. If you have been convicted of arson, armed robbery, bigamy, bribery, carjacking, embezzlement, extortion, felony bad check, felony shoplifting, forgery, larceny, murder, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, rape, receiving stolen property, robbery, statutory rape, theft, timber larceny, larceny under lease or rental agreement, or unlawful taking of motor vehicle, you cannot register to vote unless you have been pardoned by the Governor. If you have not been convicted of one of the above crimes, your right to vote will be restored upon completion of your sentence, including probation and parole.

  • Contact your County Circuit Clerk. Find information here.

  • The deadline to register to vote in person is October 10. If you register to vote by mail, your registration must be postmarked by October 11.

  • Yes, under federal law you can assist someone in registering to vote if they do not speak English well, if they have trouble reading or writing, or if they have a disability.

Checking & Updating Voter Registration

Voting by Mail/Absentee/Ballot Drop-Off

  • In Mississippi you must request an absentee ballot application from your Circuit Clerk's office. You must have both your absentee ballot application and your absentee ballot notarized. There is no deadline to request a mail-in ballot, but you should request one as soon as possible to ensure enough time for mailings.

  • Yes. Please check that you have filled out all required fields and signed your ballot. USPS recommends you mail in your ballot a week before the deadline to ensure your ballot is received on time. However, please factor in your personal experience with mail delivery times to and from your place of residence or where you drop off your ballot.

  • First, you must contact your Circuit Clerk's office to see if you are allowed to vote by mail-in absentee ballot. If you qualify, you can request an Official Application for Absentee Elector’s Ballot be mailed to you. Once you receive your application, you must fill it out and have it notarized. You can then mail it back to your Circuit Clerk's office. Once they receive your application, your Circuit Clerk will mail you your official absentee ballot within 1 business day. The application and ballot may be mailed to you together depending on how close the election date is to when the ballot is requested.

  • Yes. Approved reasons include being 65 years of age or older, having a temporary or permanent physical disability, being the spouse or dependent of a person with a disability who is hospitalized outside of the county, or temporarily residing outside of the county.

  • Yes.

  • There is no deadline to request a mail-in absentee ballot. However, you should request a ballot application as soon as possible to ensure enough time to receive and return your ballot.

  • Mississippi will send out mail-in absentee ballots beginning September 24.

  • You can have your ballot sent to any mailing address that you supply on your mail-in ballot application.

  • Maybe. This varies by county. Contact your Circuit Clerk for more information. Find their information here.

  • All mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by November 15.

  • No. If your ballot is mailed to you, you must mail it back. However, you can instead request an absentee ballot in person from your Circuit Clerk, fill it out in front of them and return it in person.

  • No. You must mail back your own ballot.

  • No.

  • Yes. You may send your ballot through USPS or by commercial carrier, such as FedEx and UPS.

  • Yes. Your ballot must be witnessed and signed by an official authorized to administer oaths, such as a notary public. If you claimed the temporary or permanently physically disabled exception, you must have it witnessed by someone who is over 18, but it does not need to be notarized.

  • Yes. If your ballot is missing a signature from either you or the notary, it will not be counted.

  • No.

  • Contact your County Circuit Clerk with issues about your mail-in ballot. Find contact information here.

Voting In-Person

  • Find your polling location here.

  • Yes. If you live in Attala, Carroll, Jackson, Jones, Kemper, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Scott, or Winston county you can get election materials in Choctaw.

  • Yes. Qualified absentee voters can cast early ballots in person. Approved reasons to cast an early in person ballot include temporary absence from the state, temporary or permanent disability, or being 65 years of age or older. Find a complete list of approved reasons here. Early absentee voting times and dates vary by county. Contact your County Circuit Clerk for more information.

  • Yes. You must provide a photo ID to vote. Acceptable identification includes a driver's license, military ID, tribal photo ID, student ID issued by an accredited Mississippi college, or a Mississippi voter ID card.

  • If you are registered to vote, you can get a free photo ID from any Mississippi Circuit Clerk's office. Find office locations here.

  • Yes. Mississippi allows you to vote via an "affidavit ballot" if you do not appear on the roll book or do not have an acceptable form of voter ID. Voters who cast an affidavit ballot are entitled to receive written information at the time of voting on how to determine if the vote was counted and, if not, why not.

  • Yes. Under federal law (Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act), you are entitled to bring anyone you trust, such as a friend, family member, or neighbor, to the polling place AND into the polling booth to assist with voting. However, that person may not be your employer, running in the election, or a representative of your labor union. The person giving assistance also may not tell the voter how to vote.

  • Contact your County Circuit Clerk if you have any questions about voting in person. Find information here.