Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in Mississippi
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for Mississippi, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the Mississippi Secretary of State or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 7.
Key dates
- Register online by
Online registration is not available
No online registration for new voters; registered voters can update their information online (msegov.com/sos/voter_registration).
- Register by mail by
Monday, October 5
Postmarked by October 5. Mississippi Secretary of State 2026 Elections Calendar (last revised 9/8/2026).
- Register in person by
Monday, October 5
At the circuit clerk's or municipal clerk's office. Circuit clerks must be open 8 a.m.–noon on Saturday, October 3. Mississippi Secretary of State 2026 Elections Calendar (last revised 9/8/2026).
- Same-day registration
No
Mississippi Secretary of State 2026 Elections Calendar (last revised 9/8/2026).
- Early voting
No in-person early voting
No early voting period.
- How early voting works
Excuse-required in-person absentee voting at the circuit clerk's office, weekdays 8 a.m.–5 p.m. through noon Saturday, October 31, plus Saturdays October 24 and 31 (8 a.m.–noon). Reasons include: age 65+, disability, away from the county on Election Day, working during poll hours, and students/teachers away from home.
The state's FAQ says in-person absentee voting begins September 19; its calendar lists September 21 as the earliest day. Mississippi Secretary of State 2026 Elections Calendar (last revised 9/8/2026).
- Request a mail ballot by
Not confirmed yet — check with the Mississippi Secretary of State.
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Postmarked on or before November 3 and received by the circuit clerk within five business days, by 5 p.m. November 10. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld this grace period in Watson v. RNC (June 2026).
- Election Day polling hours
7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Central time. Mississippi Secretary of State 2026 Elections Calendar (last revised 9/8/2026).
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
You need a reason to vote by mail
By mail: age 65 or older; temporary or permanent disability; temporarily living outside the county; parent, spouse or dependent of a hospitalized disabled person; incarcerated but not convicted of a disenfranchising crime. The application and ballot envelope must be notarized (or witnessed, for voters with disabilities).
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Counted if postmarked by Election Day and received by Tuesday, November 10
Yes: ballots postmarked by Election Day count if received within five business days (by 5 p.m. November 10).
ID at the polls
- The rule
Photo ID required
Photo ID is required at the polls and for in-person absentee voting. A voter without one votes an affidavit ballot and must show ID (or sign a religious-objection affidavit) at the circuit clerk's office by 5 p.m. November 10.
- What to bring
Bring a photo ID: Mississippi driver's license (including Mobile ID), state ID, U.S. passport, government employee ID, Mississippi gun license, tribal ID, military ID, Mississippi college student ID, or a free Mississippi Voter ID card. IDs without an expiration date must have been issued within 10 years.
When will we know results in Mississippi?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
7 p.m. Central time — 8 p.m. Eastern
Central time; the whole state is in one time zone.
- Mail ballots can be processed from
Tuesday, November 3
Election Day, not before the polls open at 7:00 a.m. Absentee ballots stay sealed in a ballot box at the circuit clerk's office until the resolution board meets to process them (Secretary of State 2026 County Election Handbook, ch. XVIII.A; Miss. Code Ann. §§ 23-15-627, 23-15-639, 23-15-717).
- Mail ballots can be counted from
Tuesday, November 3
In-person absentee ballots are scanned when cast but counted on election night after polls close.
- Counties finish their count by
Friday, November 13
Deadline for county election commissions to send certified returns to the Secretary of State. Mississippi Secretary of State 2026 Elections Calendar (last revised 9/8/2026).
- State certifies results
Thursday, December 3
Declaration of general/special election results by the Secretary of State (Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-605). Mississippi Secretary of State 2026 Elections Calendar (last revised 9/8/2026).
- Runoff
Tuesday, December 1
A December 1 runoff is held only if needed for nonpartisan judicial races (Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, chancery, circuit and county judges) and school board races. It does not apply to U.S. Senate or House. Runoff registration closes November 2. Mississippi Secretary of State 2026 Elections Calendar (last revised 9/8/2026).
- Ranked-choice voting
Not used
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Mississippi Secretary of State.