Residents planning to submit an absentee ballot ahead of Mississippi’s special legislative elections next month will soon have a couple of weekend opportunities to do so.
On Saturday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, Nov. 1, circuit clerk offices in areas of the state holding elections will be open from 8 a.m. until noon for in-person absentee voting. Circuit clerk offices will also be open to absentee voters during normal business hours Monday through Friday leading into the final day to vote absentee in-person, which is Saturday, Oct. 25. For those absentee voting by mail, ballots must be postmarked on or before the election date of Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Eligible reasons for voting absentee include, but are not limited to, being out of town on Election Day, living with a disability, or being older than 65.
Primary races were held in August after a federal panel of judges ordered the state to redraw House districts in the Chickasaw County area, along with Senate districts in the Hattiesburg and DeSoto County areas, that were diluting Black voting power.
Add in a House seat left vacant by now-Clarksdale Mayor Orlando Paden, a Senate seat left vacant by now-Jackson Mayor John Horhn, and a Senate seat left vacant by Greenwood’s David Jordan, a total of 17 legislative seats will be up for grabs. Races for some local positions are happening, as well.
Those looking to vote absentee are encouraged to utilize the Secretary of State’s Y’all Vote website, which includes answers to frequently asked questions, an eligibility verification tool, a step-by-step guide on how to vote absentee, and sample ballots based on a voter’s address.