Mississippi elections 2023: What you need to know before heading to the polls

Wicker Perlis, Mississippi Clarion-Ledger
Updated ·4 min read
3
Citizens campaign and greet voters at Brandon City Hall during the primary election Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023.

Tuesday is an election day in Mississippi, and voters will head to the polls in party primaries races for each of the statewide offices and seats in the Legislature, along with a number of local county races.

Mississippi election updates: Live primary election day developments

From online resources like sample ballots to reminders on the state's voter ID requirements, here's everything voters need to know before they go vote:

Where to find your voting precinct?

Along with providing access to other information, registered voters can use the secretary of state's newly launched My Election Day tool to locate their polling place. My Election Day also provides voters with a sample ballot, a list of current office holders and contact information for local election officials.

More: See the Clarion Ledger's Hinds County voter guide for Tuesday's primary election day

Who is on the ballot?

This year's elections include all of the state's statewide offices, each seat in the state House and Senate and county-level races like commissioners and sheriffs.

The precise candidates that will appear on the ballot will differ by precinct and can be seen by accessing a sample ballot through the secretary of state's My Election Day tool.

As Mississippi is an open primary state, voters at each precinct will also have the choice of voting in the Republican or Democratic primary. After expressing their choice, voters will be handed one of two different ballots. One features only Republican candidates and the other only Democratic ones. If a voter selects a certain party on Tuesday and decides to vote in a runoff election later this month, it must be from the same party they originally selected.

More: See who will be on Tuesday's primary ballots for Hinds County Supervisors.

When do polls open and close?

The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Voters who are in line by 7 p.m. can vote so long as they stay in line.

More: Treasurer for Chris McDaniel Lt. Gov. campaign under investigation by MS attorney general

What should you bring with you?

Mississippi voters are required to provide photo identification when voting, commonly known as Voter ID.

The acceptable forms of photo ID are:

  • A driver's license (including a Digital ID provided by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety)

  • A photo ID card issued by a branch, department, or entity of the State of Mississippi

  • A United States passport

  • A government employee ID card

  • A firearms license

  • A student photo ID issued by an accredited Mississippi university, college, or community/junior college

  • A United States military ID

  • A tribal photo ID

  • Any other photo ID issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the United States government or any State government

  • A Mississippi Voter Identification Card

A voter who does not have photo ID on election day will be asked to vote via affidavit ballot. They will then have five business days to show an acceptable form of photo ID, or apply for a Mississippi Voter ID Card, at their local circuit clerk’s office.

Voters should also consider bringing water and a cell phone with them to the polls. Voters who have difficulty or questions can contact the secretary of state's elections division at 1-800-829-6786. It is expected to be one of the hottest election days on record, and voters should be prepared to brave possible lines in the heat. Heat warnings have been issued for much of the central and southern portions of the state.

More: Upcoming Hinds County Sheriff race focuses in on jail escapes and candidate indictments

What if I voted absentee or affidavit?

Absentee and affidavit voters can track the status of their ballots through the My Election Day tool as well. There is a new tracker for both absentee and affidavit ballots. All mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by election day to be counted.

More: Compare Delbert Hosemann, Chris McDaniel on issues like abortion, taxes, ballot initiative

How can I follow the results?

Preliminary results will begin to be announced shortly after the polls close at 7 p.m. The secretary of state will not release official results on election night, but preliminary figures will be posted live to the Clarion Ledger's Mississippi Election Results page.

More: Presley led Reeves in July fundraising, a first for MS gov. race, brings in record total

Where will the candidates be?

The main candidates for the state's two top positions, governor and lieutenant governor, will each be holding election night events for supporters.

Incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who faces two primary challengers, will be watching results come in from a party at the Old Capitol Inn in Downtown Jackson.

Challenger Brandon Presley, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary, will be having an event in his hometown of Nettleton.

Incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann will be having an event at River Hills Club in Jackson.

Hosemann's Republican primary challenger, state Sen. Chris McDaniel, will be having his event at the Biloxi Visitor Center on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi elections: What voters need to bring, which precinct to go