Mississippi
Preliminary voter turnout results in Mississippi lower than in 2020. See how many voted
Sec. of State disappointed by lower-than-expected turnout number
Voter turnout in Mississippi this year is likely to fall below what the state has seen in the last four presidential elections.
Mississippi Secretary of State Communications Director Elizabeth Jonson told the Clarion Ledger that as of Thursday morning, about 54% of the state’s electorate had been accounted for as casting a ballot by the end of Election Day.
That number is likely to rise to about or just above 60% by the time all absentee ballots are accounted for.
In Mississippi, county election offices have until Nov. 13 to confirm election results thanks to a now-defunct state law allowing the counting of mail-in absentee ballots for five days following the election as long as those ballots were post-marked by Election Day.
A recent U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision struck down the law, but it will go into effect after the election results are counted.
According to Associated Press figures that were updated Wednesday, 1,098,711 people voted for one of the U.S. presidential candidates, which accounts for 98.75% of the ballots cast in the election.
When compared to other elections, the numbers fall pretty low.
In 2020, 66% of the state’s electorate cast a ballot in the election. In 2016, 2012 and 2008, it was 64%, 67% and 68%, respectively, according to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office.
Jonson said that voter turnouts were actually pretty high during the early hours of Election Day, but overall, they don’t expect to exceed previous years’ voter numbers.
“It’s a little disappointing,” Jonson said.
Grant McLaughlin covers the Legislature state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.