Election Information

What you need to know about Voting in Mississippi

Who is on the ballot? When is the next election? How do I register to vote?...and more

  Voting Problems.  Register to Vote.  Absentee Voting.  Your Poll Location.  New Voting Machines.  Voting with Disabilities.  Election Information.  Elected Offices.  Sample Ballots.  Make Voting a Breeze.  Election Calendar 2008.

Click here to get your copy of the 2008 Presidential Primary Voter's Guide

Voting Problems

FOR VOTING PROBLEMS ON ELECTION DAY CALL

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The League of Women Voters of Mississippi Election Hotline - (601) 352 4616

The Secretary of State's Office - Election Hotline - (800) 829 6786

The U.S. Justice Department - (800) 253 3931

Mississippi Protection and Advocacy - (800) 772 4057

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Registering to Vote

To register to vote in Mississippi, you must affirm that you:

• are a U.S. citizen.
• are at least eighteen (18) years old or will be before the next general election
• live in the state and county where you are registering for at least 30 days before voting
• have never been convicted of murder, arson, armed robbery, bigamy, bribery, embezzlement, extortion, felony bad check, felony shoplifting, forgery, larceny, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, rape, receiving stolen property, robbery, theft, timber larceny, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, statutory rape, or carjacking, or have had your rights restored as required by law
• have not been declared mentally incompetent by a court
• will faithfully support the Constitution of the United States and of the State of Mississippi and bear true faith and allegiance to the same.

Complete the Registration Form provided by the Secretary of State or your county Circuit Clerk at least 30 days before the election. If you have questions call your county Circuit Clerk or call the Secretary of State at 1-800-829-6786.

You will need a driver's license, social security number, or a copy of a current and valid photo identification, utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document showing your name and address.

You are not required to register your party affiliation; however, you will only be allowed to vote in one party primary.

If you have previously registered and want to change your name or address, you must complete the same form as newly registered voters.

Absentee Voting Process

Eligible Absentee Voters include any duly qualified and registered elector who will be absent from their county of residence on Election Day or any of the following individuals who may not be present on Election Day:

• Any enlisted or commissioned members of the US armed forces who are citizens of Mississippi.
• Any member of the Merchant Marine or American Red Cross who is a citizen of Mississippi.
• Any disabled war veteran who is a patient in any hospital, who is a citizen of Mississippi.
• Any civilian attached to and serving outside of the US with any branch of the Armed Forces or with the Merchant Marine or American Red Cross, who is a citizen of Mississippi.
• Any citizen of Mississippi temporarily residing outside the territorial limits of the US and the District of Columbia.
• An employee engaged in interstate transportation required to be away from his or her county of residence on Election Day due to employment.
• A student, teacher or administrator required to be over 50 miles away from the county of residence on Election Day due to employment.
• An employee engaged in offshore employment, or as an employee on a vessel or other watercraft.
• An employee, businessperson, professional, tradesman or worker required being over 50 miles away from the county of residence on Election Day due to employment.
• Anyone with a temporary or permanent physical disability.
• Anyone 65 years of age or older.
• A parent, spouse or dependent staying with a hospitalized person with a temporary or permanent disability and is 50 miles or more away from his or her county of residence on Election Day.
• A member of a congressional delegation required to be over 50 miles away from his or her county of residence on Election Day.

Special Situations

• Uniform and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), an emergency rule allowing these citizens to register to vote up until fourteen (14)days before an election. For further information on military and overseas citizen absentee voting, see below

• Katrina Voters Assistance. Assistance with voting is available for those displaced by the hurricane. For further information see www.Katrinavoters.com

Absentee Voting Deadlines come early to help assure your ballot is counted. Contact your County Voter Registrar or Municipal Clerk at least two weeks before the election.

• If You Intend to Vote in the Circuit Clerk's Office Before Election Day. Go to the Circuit Clerks office in the county in which you are registered, and tell them you want to vote absentee. They will let you vote an absentee ballot right then and there.

• If You Intend to Vote By Mail. Allow three weeks minimum between submitting your application for an absentee ballot and the deadline to vote by absentee ballot. You will need to have your ballot notarized unless you are disabled (Main post offices and town halls will notarize your ballet).

Questions? Contact the Secretary of State's Election Hotline at (606) 829-6786.

Your Poll Location

Find your poll location! [If you polling location has recently moved, it will not be listed. Please call your Circuit Clerk's office for more information.]

Campaigning at the Polls & Poll Watchers

• No campaign literature can be distributed or lobbying done within 150 feet of any entrance to the polling place.

• Poll watchers must be appointed by the candidate in writing. Candidates may be poll watchers.

• Poll watchers and other persons cannot do anything that hinders the progress of voters into the polling place.

• Poll watchers must be assigned a position from which they can view the election process and challenge unqualified voters.

• Any person crating a disturbance at the polling place shall be arrested. If assistance is required, the Manager/Bailiff should contact local law enforcement officers and request assistance.

Voting Instructions for New Voting Machines

Get information about the new voting machines and practice using them at Touch & Vote. For further information, call your County Circuit Clerk or the Secretary of State's office at (800) 829 6786.

Voting Assistance for People with Disabilities

Getting Your Ballot

A Person with a Permanent Disability can register to be put on the voter disabled list and will automatically be sent a absentee ballot. You must get a signed statement from your doctor stating that you are permanently disabled to qualify. For further information, contact the Secretary of State's Election Hotline at (606)829-6786.

The Voting Machines

Some new voting machines have features to assist voters with visual impairments:

• Voters with blindness or severe visual impairments may navigate through the entire ballot without assistance, in privacy, using voice-guidance prompts.
• Voters with limited vision may use a magnification feature enabling them to vote unassisted in a clear and comfortable manner in privacy.

Personal Voting Assistance

Any voter can ask for personal assistance who:

• is blind: or,
• is physically disabled;or,
• cannot read or cannot write.

No other reasons will be considered valid.

To get assistance, a voter must:

• tell the managers she or he needs help to mark ballot:
• state one of the above reasons why help is needed: and
• pick someone to help them.

The voter can have anyone help mark his ballot, except:

• his or her employer or an employer's representative; or,
• a representative of any union of which she or he is a member.

Curbside Voting Assistance

Persons with disabilities have the right to vote curbside with the assistance of an election manager. If you are physically disabled and are unable to enter the polling place, ask the election manager to have the voting machine brought to your vehicle to vote.

Note: Not all of the new voting machines can be taken to the car of a voter with a disability.

Election Information

Find information about the 2008 Election from the Secretary of State.

Elected Offices to be Filled in 2008

Federal Offices: President & Vice-President, US Senator, US Representatives

Click for the 2008 Presidential Primary Voter's Guide

Click for a complete list of candidates for these offices

Supreme Court District Offices: Supreme Court Justice

State District Offices: Court of Appeals Judge, Levee Commissioner

County District Offices: Election Commissioner, School Board Member

Sample Ballots for the Primaries

Click for a 2008 Democratic Primary Sample Ballot

Click for a 2008 Republican Primary Sample Ballot

To get a sample ballot that will contain all of your local races, please contact your County Circuit Clerk.

3 Ways to Make Voting a Breeze

l. Call ahead: Call your County Circuit Clerk to make sure you're registered to vote and find out where your polling place is.
2. Avoid the crowds: If you can, go to the polls during the off hours of 10:00am-11:30am and 1:30pm-3:30pm. Polls are less likely to be crowded then.
3. Take a friend to vote: Why go alone when you can take a friend or loved one to vote too?

Election Calendar 2008

JANUARY

11 - Qualifying Deadline: The qualifying deadline for candidates for U.S. Congress running in the 2008 Primary and General election and candidates for Yazoo-MS Delta Levee Commission.

28 - Absentee Balloting: Earliest day to vote absentee in the Circuit Clerk's office for the March 11th Primary Election or to apply for an absentee ballot by mail.

FEBRUARY

4-8 - Voter Registration-Primary Elections: Circuit Clerk's offices may remain open from 8:00am until 7:00pm, including the noon hour.

9 - Voter Registration-Primary Elections: Circuit Clerks' offices may remain open this Saturday until noon for voter registration. Last day to register to vote for the primary election in the Circuit Clerk's Office, is the office is open.

10 - Mail-in Voter Registration: Mail-in voter registration forms must be postmarked no later than this date to be accepted for the Primary Elections. (Since many post offices are closed weekends, applicants should mail application in no later then February 8, 2008 to avoid missing this deadline.)

MARCH

1 - Absentee Voting: Circuit Clerks' offices must remain open until noon for absentee voting for the first Primary Election.

1 - Municipal School Trustee: Election for this office in some municipalities.

8 - Absentee Voting: Circuit Clerks' offices must remain open until noon for absentee voting for the first Primary Election. Today at noon is the last day to vote by absentee in the Circuit Clerk's office for the Primary Election.

10 - Absentee Voting: Mailed absentee ballots must be received by the circuit clerk no later then 5:00pm for the Primary Election. Mailed absentee ballots received by the circuit clerk after 5:00pm on Monday 10th, but before 7:00pm on Tuesday, March 11th, shall have votes counted only for the office of President.

11 - PRIMARY ELECTION FEDERAL OFFICES & Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Levee District: Polls open from 7:00 am until 7:00 pm.

15 - Municipal School Trustee-Added Territory: Runoff election, where required, for this office in some counties.

15 - Absentee Balloting: Clerks must remain open until noon for absentee balloting for the second Primary Election.

29 - Absentee Balloting: Clerk's must remain open until noon today (Saturday) for absentee balloting for the second Primary Election. Today at noon is the deadline to vote absentee in the Circuit Clerk's office for the second Primary election.

31 - Absentee voting: Mailed absentee ballots must be received no later then 5:00 pm for the second Primary Election.

APRIL

1 - PRIMARY RUN-OFF ELECTION FOR FEDERAL OFFICES and Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Levee District (if necessary): Polls open from 7:00am to 7:00 pm.

MAY

4 - Qualifying Deadline: Mississippi Levee District Commissioner

9 - Qualifying Deadline for Non-partisan Judicial Offices: Qualifying deadline is 5:00pm Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.

JUNE

14 - Absentee Ballots-Mississippi Levee District: Last day to vote by absentee ballot in the Circuit Clerks' office, which is open until noon for the June 17th Run off General Election.

17 - Mississippi Levee District Run-off Election (if required).

AUGUST

6 - Qualifying Deadline-County School Board Candidates and Consolidated School District: First day in which a person can qualify as a candidate for a county school board member or consolidated school district trustee candidates.

SEPTEMBER

5 - Qualifying Deadline: Last day for candidates for Election Commissioner, School Board, and special elections to fill vacancies to qualify for the November ballot.

22 - Absentee Balloting: Earliest day to vote absentee in the Circuit Clerk's office for the General Election or to apply for an absentee ballot by mail.

29 - Voter Registration: Circuit Clerks' offices may remain open from 8:00am until 7:00pm.

OCTOBER

3 - Voter Registration: Last day to register to vote for the General Election in the Circuit Clerk's Office, if the clerk's office is not open Saturday, October 4th.

5 - Mail-in Voter Registration: Mail-in voter registration forms must be postmarked no later than this day to be accepted for the General Election. (Note: since many post offices are closed weekends, applicants should mail or deliver applications no later than October 3rd to avoid missing this deadline.)

25 - Absentee Balloting: Circuit Clerk's offices must remain open until noon for absentee voting for the General Election.

NOVEMBER

1 - Absentee Balloting Circuit Clerk's offices must remain open until noon this Saturday for absentee voting for the General Election. Today at noon is the last day to vote by absentee ballot in the Circuit Clerk's office for the general election.

3 - Absentee Balloting Mailed absentee ballots must be received no later than 5:00pm to be accepted for the General Election.

4 - GENERAL ELECTION: Polls are open from 7:00am to 7:00pm.

15 - Run-off Absentee Balloting: Circuit Clerk's offices remain open until noon for absentee voting for the Run-off Election, if a Run-off is required.

22 - Absentee Balloting: Circuit Clerk's offices must remain open until noon this Saturday for absentee voting for the Run-off Election, if a Run-off is being held.

25 - GENERAL RUNOFF ELECTION (if required): For any special election or other office requiring a majority vote to be elected, polls are open from 7:00am to 7:00pm.

DECEMBER

15 - Meeting of Electors: Electors meet at the seat of government to give their votes for President and Vice-President of the United States.

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: July 8, 2008 22:48 PDT.

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