Just hours remain to register to vote in Mississippi’s special legislative elections.
Monday, Oct. 6, is the final day to register or update registration information before 17 state House and Senate seats, along with various local elections, hit ballots across the state on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Secretary of State Michael Watson, whose office oversees the election process, is continuing his push to encourage eligible citizens to register. Since taking office in 2020, he’s used in-person and digital outreach campaigns to register more than 382,000 voters.
“The right to vote is one of the greatest civil liberties in our country and registering to vote is the first step toward successfully participating in the electoral process,” Watson said. “I’m proud of our continued efforts to help register all eligible Mississippians to exercise this civic duty.”
How do I register to vote?
Citizens can register to vote at any point in the year, but must meet certain deadlines to be able to vote in upcoming elections. The deadline for next month’s elections is by the end of day on Monday, Oct. 6.
The easiest way for someone to register is by printing this form, filling it out, and mailing it to their county circuit clerk’s office. It must be postmarked Oct. 6 at this point to be eligible for the incoming elections. Registration forms postmarked in the days following will be counted for future elections.
For those who prefer to register in person, circuit clerk and municipal clerk offices across the state offer a way to do that. Forms can also be found at Watson’s office in Jackson and in public libraries, driver’s license exam stations, and public schools.
How do I update my voter registration?
Like registering, there are multiple ways to update voter registration in Mississippi with the easiest being online. For example, if you recently moved but are already a registered voter, a couple of clicks should get your address changed while maintaining eligibility for next month’s elections.
Voter registration can also be updated in person at local circuit clerk and municipal clerk offices.
Which elections will be on the ballot?
While Mississippi does not have any statewide elections this year, several areas across the state will be holding special general elections on Tuesday, Nov. 4, for legislative seats. 14 districts in and around the DeSoto County, Chickasaw County, and Hattiesburg areas were ordered to be redrawn by a federal panel of judges, which said Mississippi was diluting Black voting power. Three other seats, two in the Senate and one in the House, are also up for grabs with John Horhn and Orlando Paden, Jr. becoming mayors of Jackson and Clarksdale, respectively, and Greenwood’s David Jordan deciding to retire after over three decades in the capitol.
Various local races such as school board, coroner, and more will be on ballots in some places. Voters can check to see if they have elections in their areas by visiting yallvote.ms. Absentee voting ahead of the election opened to eligible voters last month for both in-person and mail-in ballots.
