Can you vote by mail in Mississippi? Here are answers to 2020 election questions.
With the Nov. 3 general election coming up, voters are already calling their county circuit clerk’s offices with questions about voting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harrison County Circuit Clerk Connie Ladner said she is getting more questions than ever before about absentee voting for the upcoming presidential election and other races on the ballot.
Answers are below for frequently asked questions about the Nov. 3 general election.
What races are on the ballot Nov. 3?
The presidential race is the big-ticket item in the Nov. 3 general election. Voters also will elect a U.S. senator and U.S. representatives, although Republican Steven Palazzo is unopposed in the 4th District race in South Mississippi. Mike Randolph, chief justice of the state Supreme Court, also is unopposed in his nonpartisan race for re-election in South Mississippi.
Depending on your county of residence, some local races also will be on the ballot as either special or regular elections for positions such as election commissioner and school board.
Sample ballots for Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties are included at the bottom of this article.
The candidate with the most votes wins most offices, but in races with no party primaries, run-offs will be held if no candidate receives a majority of the vote.
What initiatives will be voted on in Mississippi?
Statewide ballot initiatives will be decided, including a new state flag design to replace Mississippi’s flag with its Confederate battle emblem, which the Legislature voted to retire.
▪ A nine-member state flag commission has selected a magnolia flag design for the ballot. A color image of the flag design will be on the ballot and voters can select “yes” or “no” on whether they want the design as the official state flag. If voters don’t approve the design, the commission will return to work and select another design to be voted on in November 2021.
▪ In a statewide ballot initiative, voters also will be asked whether medical marijuana should be legalized for qualified patients. Those who support the measure can then choose between two initiatives, No. 65 or 65a.
No. 65, placed on the ballot through a citizen initiative, would amend the state Constitution, allowing qualified patients, as certified by a licensed physician, to use medical marijuana from licensed treatment centers only. The Mississippi State Department of Health would regulate and enforce the law.
No. 65A, an alternative proposed by the state Legislature, would restrict smoking marijuana to terminally ill patients; require pharmaceutical-grade marijuana products and treatment oversight; and allow the Legislature to determine other details, including possession limits and tax rates.
▪ A proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot would remove a requirement that candidates for statewide office receive the highest number of votes in a majority of the state’s 122 House districts.
It also provides that candidates proceed to a runoff if no one receives a majority of the popular vote instead of letting the House of Representatives decide the race.
The question requires a “yes” or “no” answer and reads as follows:
“This amendment provides that to be elected Governor, or to any other statewide office, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes in the general election. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, then a runoff election shall be held as provided by general law. The requirement of receiving the most votes in a majority of Mississippi House of Representative’s districts is removed.”
Where can I register to vote if I haven’t already registered?
Register to vote at least 30 days before the election at the circuit or municipal clerk’s office in your city or county, when you get a driver’s license at the Department of Public Safety or by mail. To register by mail, download a voter registration form here or pick one up at your circuit clerk’s office.
Do I need a photo ID to vote?
Mississippi does require that voters present valid photo identification. You need to present a photo ID when you vote at the polls or by absentee ballot in a circuit clerk’s office. No ID is needed when voting absentee by mail. (See more about voting absentee by mail below.)
Valid photo IDs include a driver’s license, any photo ID issued by a U.S. or state government entity, a photo ID from any of Mississippi’s accredited universities or community colleges, a U.S. military photo ID, a firearms license, a U.S. passport, a government employee photo ID, a tribal photo ID or a Mississippi voter ID.
All Mississippi circuit clerks’ offices can issue free voter identification cards to voters who do not have photo IDs. Need a ride to the clerk’s office or have questions? Call toll-free number: 1-844-MSVOTER (1-844-678-6837).
How can I vote if I want avoid the polls because of COVID-19?
A minority of states, including Mississippi, require an excuse to vote by absentee ballot. The state Legislature recently added a new excuse: Anyone under physician-imposed quarantine or caring for a dependent under quarantine due to COVID-19 can vote by absentee ballot.
Will measures be taken to protect voters from COVID-19 at the polls?
All poll workers will be issued masks and are supposed to wear them. Hand sanitizer will be available for election officials and voters at all precincts. Counties also will have individual safety procedures for sanitizing equipment, depending on what type voting machines are used. Voters are encouraged, by not required, to wear masks.
Am I eligible to vote by absentee ballot?
Voters can cast absentee ballots if they are 65 years old or older, have a temporary or permanent disability, are commissioned or enlisted members of the armed forces, are a Mississippi resident living outside the territorial U.S., are required to be at work while the polls are open, will be outside their county of residence on election day or are a college student living outside their county of residence. Find a complete list of absentee eligibility here.
No written excuse is needed if you are voting absentee unless you have a permanent physical disability, in which case a doctor’s certificate must be filed with the clerk’s office and will be retained for future elections.
Absentee ballots must be voted in a circuit clerk’s office, or mailed from the office to the voter and mailed back to the clerk once completed. State law prohibits hand-delivery of ballots
▪ Voting by absentee ballot in the circuit clerk’s office is easiest. Filling out an absentee ballot application and voting by absentee ballot must be witnessed by an official authorized to administer oaths, such as a notary public.
You can fill out your request for an absentee ballot and cast your vote in the same visit, and a person in the office who is authorized to administer oaths will serve as a witness. Your ballot is private. It is placed in a sealed and secure envelope.
Mail-in absentee ballot applications and ballots must be cast in front of an official authorized to administer oaths, such as a notary public, then returned by mail to the clerk’s office. The ballots are entered into the voting system, then placed in a sealed ballot box.
▪ Any person who is temporarily or permanently physically disabled, including those under COVID-19 quarantine, can have the absentee application and ballot witnessed by a person who is at least 18 years of age rather than by someone authorized to administer oaths.
Technically, there is no deadline to request an absentee ballot for November, but the Secretary of State’s Office says voters should request absentee ballots and vote absentee as early as possible. The United States Postal Service says absentee ballots should be requested at least two weeks before the election.
Where is my voting precinct?
To find out where you vote, you can type your address into a precinct locator on the Mississippi secretary of state’s website, check the website of the circuit clerk in your county or call your county circuit clerk’s office. You also can call the statewide elections hotline, 1-800-829-6786.
What are Mississippi’s election deadlines?
▪ Sept. 4 — Absentee ballots applications will be available. Voters should fill out an absentee ballot form and pick up their ballots as early as possible if mailing in the ballot in case of postal delays.
▪ Sept. 19 — Circuit clerks begin mailing absentee ballots for military and overseas residents to begin voting
▪ Sept. 21 — Voting by absentee ballot in the circuit clerk’s office begins for the general election.
▪ Oct. 5 — Voter registration deadline for in-person registration; mailed applications must be postmarked by this date.
▪ Oct. 31 — In-person absentee voting deadline.
▪ Nov. 3 — Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the general election; absentee ballots must be postmarked by 5 p.m. on this day and received within five business days of the election.
Sample ballots
Below are sample ballots for the three Coast counties in alphabetical order.
Hancock County
Harrison County
Jackson County
(Jackson County’s sample ballot does not include a photo of the proposed state flag, but the photo will appear on actual ballots.)
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 5:40 AM.
