Mississippi
Absentee ballot figures higher than in 2023 statewide race. See how many
How to vote absentee ahead of Nov. 5
As of Oct. 28, the Mississippi Sec. of State’s Office has reported 119,818 absentee ballots being received by circuit clerk offices throughout the state.
That figure is more than double the number of ballots received during the statewide elections last year, when only about 56,403 absentee ballots were received.
However, the total number of absentee ballots falls to about half the number received during the 2020 presidential election, which took place during the Covid-19 pandemic. There were 231,031 absentee ballots received in that race as of Election Day.
That year saw Democrat Joe Biden beat out Republican incumbent Donald Trump, and the race also saw a record number of votes in Mississippi because of the pandemic, causing more people to vote absentee.
How to vote absentee in Mississippi
In Mississippi, people can vote absentee in-person for several qualifying reasons, such as working for a government or public office requiring time away from your home county, being a teacher or student who is not in their home county or if a voter is not in their home county on election day for any reason.
All absentee voters doing so in person must vote at the county circuit clerk’s office. The deadline for voting absentee in-person is Nov. 2.
Mississippi is one of three states not to allow early in-person voting.
How to vote via mail in Mississippi
As for mail-in absentee ballots, voters can request them if they are temporarily living outside their home county, anyone who has a permanent or temporary disability that prevents them easily and comfortably accessing the polls, incarcerated people, the parent, spouse or dependent of someone with a disability who resides outside the county or 50 miles from their listed residence, as well as people over the age of 65.
For those wanting to vote via mail, absentee ballots became available on Sept. 23, and voters need to contact their county circuit clerk’s office to see if they qualify for a mail-in ballot. If they do, the voter will be mailed an application that needs to be filled out and signed by a witness.
A witness must be someone who can administer oath, such as a notary public, or if the voter is temporarily or permanently disabled, someone at least 18 years old can sign as a witness.
Once the application is completed and signed, the voter needs to mail it back to the circuit clerk and then a mail-in ballot will be sent back. More instructions on mail-in voting can be found at the Secretary of State’s Office website.
Mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by election day to be counted. Mail-in ballots can be counted at the polls for five days following election night.
Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.