Absentee voting starts in Mississippi, DeSoto County
Mississippi does not offer early voting, as is the case in other states, but under certain circumstances where an eligible voter knows he or she will not be able to vote at the polls on election day, they can request an absentee ballot ahead of election day.
Monday, June 26 began the period when absentee voting is allowed for the Aug. 8 general election in the Magnolia State.
Among the circumstances to be able to vote absentee ahead of election day are that you will be required to not be in the county of residence for any reason, any person who is age 65 or older, and a voter who will be working during election day polling hours and cannot leave work to vote.
There are other specific items that would allow a voter to request an absentee ballot that are found on the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website.
Voters who temporarily live outside of their county of permanent residence can ask for an absentee ballot to be sent to them they may then fill out on mail back to the Circuit Clerk’s office. Voters age 65 and older may also request an absentee ballot be mailed that they may return, as well.
Ballots may be cast in person at the Circuit Clerk’s office during office hours during the week. The office will also be open until 12 noon on Saturday, July 29, and again on Saturday, Aug. 5, the last day absentee ballots may be cast in person.
The DeSoto County Circuit Clerk’s office has posted a list of the candidates for county offices on the Aug. 8 primary ballot on its website. With redistricting, voters may find themselves voting in new districts and at new polling places, so it’s especially important with this election to check and be sure exactly where to vote.
New voter registration cards have also been mailed out, so if a voter has not yet received a new card, they are asked to contact the Circuit Clerk’s office immediately and request one.
