As always, it's best to double check with your state for any recent changes to election rules: Mississippi Election Website
COVID-19 info for Mississippi
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Mississippi, Mississippi State Department of Health
Mississippi voter registration
- In Person: 30 days before Election Day. If the 30th day falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, then the in-person deadline is extended to the next regular business day.
- By Mail: Postmarked 30 days before Election Day. If the 30th day falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, then the postmark deadline is extended to the next regular business day.
- Online: N/A
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To register in Mississippi you must:
- Be a citizen of the United States;
- Have lived in Mississippi and in your county (and city, if applicable) 30 days before Election Day;
- Be 18 years old by the time of the general election in which you want to vote;
- Have not been convicted of voter fraud, murder, rape, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement, bigamy, armed robbery, extortion, felony bad check, felony shoplifting, larceny, receiving stolen property, robbery, timber larceny, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, statutory rape, carjacking, or larceny under lease or rental agreement (or, if you have been convicted, you must have had your rights restored);
- Not have been declared mentally incompetent by a court.
- Use our Register to Vote Tool to fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
- Sign and date your form. This is very important!
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address we provide.
- Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline.
- If you have been convicted of a felony and have questions about whether you can register to vote, visit Restore Your Vote to determine your eligibility.
Mississippi absentee ballots
- In Person: No specific deadline. We recommend requesting your ballot at least 7 days before Election Day. In-person absentee voting for those with a qualifying excuse ends 3 days before Election Day.
- By Mail: No specific deadline. We recommend requesting your ballot at least 7 days before Election Day.
- Online: N/A
- Postmarked by Election Day and received within 5 business days of Election Day (by mail);
You may vote by absentee ballot in Mississippi if:
- You will be away from your county on Election Day for any reason.
- You are a student, teacher, or administrator at a school whose studies or employment there necessitates your absence from your county on Election Day; or you are the spouse or dependent thereof.
- You have a temporary or permanent physical disability that renders you unable to vote in person without substantial hardship.
- You are the parent, spouse, or dependent of a person with a temporary or permanent physical disability who is hospitalized outside of their county of residence or more than fifty (50) miles away, and you (the parent, spouse or dependent) will be with that person on Election Day.
- You are sixty-five (65) years of age or older.
- You will be unable to vote in person because you are required to be at work on Election Day during the times at which the polls will be open.
- You are a member, spouse, or dependent of the congressional delegation absent from Mississippi on Election Day.
- You are a disabled war veteran (or spouse or dependent of such a person) in a hospital.
- You are a member (or spouse or dependent of such a person) of the Merchant Marine or American Red Cross.
An absentee application should be requested directly from the clerk's office. The application must include a seal and the clerk's initials. Applications returned by mail must be notarized or sworn and subscribed to by another official authorized to witness absentee balloting. Applications of the temporarily or permanently disabled are NOT required to be notarized but must be witnessed and signed by a person 18 years of age or older; the witness does not need to be a voter.
- Sign and date the form. This is very important!
- Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. We'll provide the mailing address or contact information for you.
- All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it's close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
- Double-check the deadlines and be sure to cast your voted ballot on time so that it is counted.
- Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
- Once you receive the ballot, carefully read and follow the instructions.
- Sign and date where indicated.
- Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope.
- Double-check the deadlines and be sure to cast your voted ballot on time to be sure it is counted.
Mississippi Early Voting
45 days before Election Day for eligible absentee voters
3 days before Election Day for eligible absentee voters
Mississippi voter ID
If you are voting in person in Mississippi, you must present one of the following forms of photo ID at the time you vote:
- A Mississippi driver's license
- A US passport
- A photo ID card issued by a branch, department, or entity of the State of Mississippi
- An employee photo ID card issued by a branch, department, or entity of the US government
- A photo ID issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the US government, the State of Mississippi, or any state government including, but not limited to, a driver's license of another state
- A student ID card containing a photograph issued by an accredited institution of higher education in Mississippi
- A US military ID card containing a photograph
- A tribal ID card containing a photograph
- A Mississippi license to carry a gun containing a photograph
- A Mississippi voter identification card containing a photograph
You may use an expired photo ID as long as it is an acceptable form of photo ID and is not more than 10 years old.
If you've voted in Mississippi before or provided ID at the time of registration, you don't need to provide ID to vote by mail.
If you're a first time Mississippi voter who registered by mail and you didn't provide ID when you registered, you'll need to provide a copy of one of the following forms of ID along with your mail ballot:
- A copy of a current photo ID showing your name and photograph
- A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and address
Offsite links
- State Election Website
- Local Election Office: This is the government office responsible for running elections in your region. These are the best people to contact if you have any questions at all about voting in your state.
- Find your polling place
- Learn more about absentee voting
- Learn more about voter ID
- State Election Code