Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-523 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-523
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-523
Status: in_force

(1) All proceedings at the counting center shall be under the direction of the election commissioners or officials in charge of the election, and shall be conducted under the observations of the public, but no persons except those authorized for the purpose shall touch any ballot. All persons who are engaged in processing and counting of the ballots shall take the oath provided in Section 268, Mississippi Constitution of 1890 .

(2) The election commissioners or the officials in charge of the election shall appoint qualified electors who have received the training required by subsection (11) of this section to serve as members of the “resolution board.” An odd number of not less than three (3) members shall be appointed to the resolution board. The members of the board shall take the oath provided in Section 268, Mississippi Constitution of 1890 . All ballots that have been rejected by the OMR equipment and that are damaged or defective, blank or overvoted will be reviewed by the board. Election commissioners, candidates who are on the ballot and the spouse, parents, siblings or children of such a candidate shall not be appointed to the resolution board. In general and special elections, members of the party executive committees shall not be appointed to the resolution board unless members of all of the party executive committees who have a candidate on the ballot are appointed to the resolution board.

(3)(a) If any ballot is damaged or defective so that it cannot be properly counted by the OMR equipment, the ballot will be deposited in an envelope provided for that purpose marked “RESOLUTION BOARD.” All such ballots shall be carefully handled so as to avoid altering, removing or adding any mark on the ballot.

(b) The election commissioners or the officials in charge of the election shall have the members of the resolution board ascertain the intent of the voter, if possible, and, if so, manually count any damaged or defective ballots.

(c) The resolution board shall prepare a duplicate to the damaged or defective ballot in the following manner:

(i) The resolution board shall prepare a duplicate to the original damaged or defective ballot marked identically to the original.

(ii) The resolution board shall mark the first original they examine as “Original #1” and the duplicate of this original as “Duplicate #1.” Later originals and duplicates shall be likewise marked and numbered consecutively so the duplicate of each original can be identified. Duplicate ballots shall be stamped in a different manner from the original ballots so that they may be easily distinguished from the originals.

(iii) The duplicate ballots prepared pursuant to this paragraph shall be counted by the OMR equipment.

(4) The resolution board shall examine ballots that have been rejected by the OMR equipment for appearing to be “blank” to verify if they are blank or were marked with a “nondetectable” marking device. If it is determined that the ballot was marked with a nondetectable device, the resolution board shall prepare a duplicate to the original blank ballot in the same manner and in accordance with the same process provided in subsection (3)(c).

(5) All ballots that are rejected by the OMR equipment and that contain overvotes shall be inspected by the resolution board. Regarding those rejected ballots upon which an overvote appears, if the voter intent cannot be determined by the resolution board, the officials in charge of the election may use the OMR equipment in determining the vote in the races that are unaffected by the overvote. All other ballots that are overvoted shall be counted manually following the provisions of this section at the direction of the officials in charge of the election. The return printed by the OMR equipment to which have been added the manually tallied ballots, which shall be duly certified by the officials in charge of the election, shall constitute the official return of each voting precinct. Unofficial and incomplete returns may be released during the count. Upon the completion of the counting, the official returns shall be open to the public.

(6) When the resolution board reviews any OMR ballot in which the voter has failed to fill in the arrow, oval, circle or square for a candidate or a ballot measure, the resolution board shall, if the intent of the voter can be ascertained, count the vote if:

(a) The voter marks the ballot with a “cross” (X) or “checkmark” (✓) and the lines that form the mark intersect within or on the line of the arrow, oval, circle or square by the ballot measure or the name of the candidate.

(b) The voter blackens the arrow, oval, circle or square adjacent to the ballot measure or the name of the candidate in pencil or ink and the blackened portion extends beyond the boundaries of the arrow, oval, circle or square.

(c) The voter marks the ballot with a “cross” (X) or “checkmark” (✓) and the lines that form the mark intersect adjacent to the ballot measure or the name of the candidate.

(d) The voter underlines the ballot measure or the name of a candidate.

(e) The voter draws a line from the arrow, oval, circle or square to a ballot measure or the name of a candidate.

(f) The voter draws a circle or oval around the ballot measure or the name of the candidate.

(g) The voter draws a circle or oval around the arrow, oval, circle or square adjacent to the ballot measure or the name of the candidate.

(7) The resolution board, when inspecting an OMR ballot that contains or appears to contain one or more overvotes, appears to be damaged or defective, or is rejected by the OMR equipment for any reason or cannot be counted by the OMR equipment, shall make its determination in accordance with the following:

(a) When an elector casts more votes for any office or measure than he or she is entitled to cast at an election, all the elector's votes for that office or measure are invalid and the elector is deemed to have voted for none of them. If an elector casts less votes for any office or measure than he or she is entitled to cast at an election, all votes cast by the elector shall be counted but no vote shall be counted more than once.

(b) If an elector casts more than one (1) vote for the same candidate for the same office, the first vote is valid and the remaining votes for that candidate are invalid.

(c) No write-in vote for a candidate whose name is printed on the ballot shall be regarded as invalid due to misspelling a candidate's name, or by abbreviation, addition or omission or use of a wrong initial in the name, as long as the intent of the voter can be ascertained.

(d) In any case where a voter writes in the name of a candidate for President of the United States whose name is printed on the general election ballot, the failure by the voter to write in the name of a candidate for the Office of Vice President of the United States on the general election ballot does not invalidate the elector's vote for the slate of electors for any candidate whose name is written in for the Office of President of the United States.

(e) For any ballot measure in which the words “for” or “against” are printed on a ballot, if the voter shall write the word “for” or the word “against” instead of or in addition to marking the ballot in accordance with the ballot instruction in the space adjacent to the preprinted words “for” or “against,” the resolution board shall, in reviewing such ballot, count the vote in accordance with the voter's handwritten preference, unless the voter marks the ballot in the space adjacent to the preprinted words “for” or “against” contrary to the handwritten preference, in which case no vote shall be recorded for such ballot in regard to the ballot measure.

(f) For any ballot measure in which the words “yes” or “no” are printed on a ballot, if the voter shall write the word “yes” or the word “no” instead of or in addition to marking the ballot in accordance with the ballot instructions in the space adjacent to the preprinted words “yes” or “no,” the resolution board shall, in reviewing such ballot, count the vote in accordance with the voter's handwritten preference, unless the voter marks the ballot in the space adjacent to the preprinted words “yes” or “no” contrary to the handwritten preference, in which case no vote shall be recorded for such ballot in regard to the ballot measure.

(8) OMR equipment shall be programmed, calibrated, adjusted and set up to reject ballots that appear to be damaged or defective. Any switch, lever or feature on OMR equipment that enables or permits the OMR equipment to override the rejection of damaged or defective ballots so that such ballots will not be reviewed by the resolution board, shall not be used.

(9) Ballots shall be manually counted by the resolution board only when the ballots are:

(a) Properly before the resolution board due to being rejected by the OMR equipment because the ballots appear to be damaged or defective or are rejected by the OMR equipment for any other reason; or

(b) Properly before the resolution board due to a malfunction in the OMR equipment.

(10) The resolution board shall make and keep a record regarding the handling and counting of all ballots inspected under this section.

(11) The executive committee of each county or municipality, in the case of a primary election, or the election commissioners of each county or municipality, in the case of all other elections, in conjunction with the circuit or municipal clerk respectively, shall sponsor and conduct, a training session for up to two (2) hours, not less than five (5) days before each election, to instruct those qualified electors who are appointed to serve as members of the resolution board as to their specific duties in the election. No member appointed to serve on the resolution board shall serve in any election unless he or she has received such instruction once during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date upon which the election is held. Online training courses developed by the Secretary of State, though not sponsored or conducted by the executive committee or the election commissioners, may be used to meet the requirements of this subsection (11).
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-525 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-525
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-525
Status: in_force

(1) The Secretary of State shall have the power to issue supplementary instructions and procedures for the safe and efficient use of OMR equipment within the State of Mississippi and to carry out the purpose of the chapter. Subject to such instructions and procedures provided by the Secretary of State and the provisions of this chapter, the election commissioners shall have the power to make additional provisions for the conduct of elections with the OMR equipment.

(2) If for any reason the OMR equipment shall become inoperable, the poll managers shall direct voters to operating OMR equipment or to cast emergency paper ballots. The paper ballots shall be administered in accordance with the laws concerning paper ballots.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-639 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-639
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-639
Status: in_force

(1) The examination and counting of all absentee ballots shall be conducted as follows:

(a) At the opening of the regular balloting and at the opening of the polls, the resolution board established under Section 23-15-523 and trained in the process of canvassing absentee ballots shall first take the envelopes containing the absentee ballots of such electors from the secure location at the registrar's office, and the name, address and precinct inscribed on each envelope shall be announced by the resolution board.

(b)(i) For absentee ballots that were received by mail, the signature on the application shall then be compared with the signature in the box on the back of the envelope. A portion of the elector's signature extending outside of the box shall not be grounds for rejecting that elector's ballot. If it corresponds and the affidavit, if one is required, is sufficient and the resolution board finds that the applicant is a registered and qualified voter or otherwise qualified to vote, the envelope shall then be opened and the ballot removed from the envelope, without its being unfolded, or permitted to be unfolded or examined.

(ii) For absentee ballots that were cast in person in the registrar's office, the resolution board shall confirm that the voter completed the application on the front of the envelope and signed the elector's certificate in the box on the back of the envelope. If it is signed and the resolution board finds that the applicant is a registered and qualified voter or otherwise qualified to vote, the envelope shall be opened and the absentee ballot removed from the envelope, without its being unfolded, or permitted to be unfolded or examined.

(c) Having observed and found the ballot to be regular as far as can be observed from its official endorsement, the resolution board shall deposit it in the ballot box with the other ballots before counting any ballots and enter the voter's name in the receipt book provided for that purpose. All absentee ballots received prior to 7:00 p.m. the day before the election shall be counted in the registrar's office by the resolution board when the polls close and then added to the votes cast in each precinct. All absentee ballots received after 7:00 p.m. the day before the election but not later than the fifth business day after the election shall be processed by the resolution board.

(2) The resolution board shall also take such action as may be prescribed by the Secretary of State to ensure compliance with the identification requirements of Section 23-15-563 .

(3) The resolution board shall process the absentee ballots using the procedure provided in subsection (1) of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-233 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-233
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-233
Status: in_force

The poll managers shall take care that the election is conducted fairly and agreeably to law, and they shall be judges of the qualifications of electors, and may examine, on oath, any person duly registered and offering to vote touching his or her qualifications as an elector, which oath any of the poll managers may administer.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-681 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-681
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-681
Status: in_force

Except as otherwise provided in this subarticle, all official absentee ballots shall be sent out and returned in envelopes on which there is printed across the face two (2) parallel horizontal bars, each one-fourth ( 1 / 4 ) of an inch wide, extending from one side of the envelope to the other side, with an intervening space of one-fourth ( 1 / 4 ) of an inch, the top bar to be one and one-fourth (1- 1 / 4 ) inches from the top of the envelope, and with the words “OFFICIAL ELECTION BALLOTING MATERIAL-VIA AIR MAIL” between the bars. In the upper right corner of each such envelope there shall be printed in a box the words “FREE OF U.S. POSTAGE, INCLUDING AIR MAIL.” All printing on the face of such envelopes shall be in black, and there shall be printed in black in the upper left corner of all such ballot envelopes an appropriate inscription for the return address of the sender.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-161 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-161
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-161
Status: in_force

The county registrar shall:

(a) Attend the meetings of the county election commissioners;

(b) Permit and furnish them access to the Statewide Elections Management System; and

(c) Render them all needed assistance of which the registrar is capable in the performance of their duties in revising the list of qualified electors.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-543 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-543
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-543
Status: in_force

The receipt booklet, mentioned in Section 23-15-541 , shall not be taken out of the polling place at any time until finally enclosed in the ballot box, except in case of any adjournment, when the receipt book shall be sealed in the ballot box.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-225 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-225
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-225
Status: in_force

(1) The registrar shall be entitled to such compensation, payable monthly out of the county treasury, which the board of supervisors of the county shall allow on an annual basis in the following amounts:

(a) For counties with a total population of more than two hundred thousand (200,000), an amount not to exceed Thirty-one Thousand Three Hundred Ninety-five Dollars ($31,395.00), but not less than Nine Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Dollars ($9,660.00).

(b) For counties with a total population of more than one hundred thousand (100,000) and not more than two hundred thousand (200,000), an amount not to exceed Twenty-six Thousand Five Hundred Sixty-five Dollars ($26,565.00), but not less than Nine Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Dollars ($9,660.00).

(c) For counties with a total population of more than fifty thousand (50,000) and not more than one hundred thousand (100,000), an amount not to exceed Twenty-four Thousand One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($24,150.00), but not less than Nine Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Dollars ($9,660.00).

(d) For counties with a total population of more than thirty-five thousand (35,000) and not more than fifty thousand (50,000), an amount not to exceed Twenty-one Thousand Seven Hundred Thirty-five Dollars ($21,735.00), but not less than Nine Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Dollars ($9,660.00).

(e) For counties with a total population of more than twenty-five thousand (25,000) and not more than thirty-five thousand (35,000), an amount not to exceed Nineteen Thousand Three Hundred Twenty Dollars ($19,320.00), but not less than Nine Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Dollars ($9,660.00).

(f) For counties with a total population of more than fifteen thousand (15,000) and not more than twenty-five thousand (25,000), an amount not to exceed Sixteen Thousand Nine Hundred Five Dollars ($16,905.00), but not less than Nine Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Dollars ($9,660.00).

(g) For counties with a total population of more than ten thousand (10,000) and not more than fifteen thousand (15,000), an amount not to exceed Fourteen Thousand Four Hundred Ninety Dollars ($14,490.00), but not less than Eight Thousand Four Hundred Fifty-two Dollars and Fifty Cents ($8,452.50).

(h) For counties with a total population of more than six thousand (6,000) and not more than ten thousand (10,000), an amount not to exceed Twelve Thousand Seventy-five Dollars ($12,075.00), but not less than Eight Thousand Four Hundred Fifty-two Dollars and Fifty Cents ($8,452.50).

(i) For counties with a total population of not more than six thousand (6,000), an amount not to exceed Nine Thousand Six Hundred Sixty Dollars ($9,660.00) but not less than Six Thousand Six Hundred Forty-one Dollars and Twenty-five Cents ($6,641.25).

(j) For counties having two (2) judicial districts, the board of supervisors of the county may allow, in addition to the sums prescribed herein, in its discretion, an amount not to exceed Eleven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($11,500.00).

(2) In the event of a reregistration within such county, or a redistricting that necessitates the hiring of additional deputy registrars, the board of supervisors, in its discretion, may by contract compensate the county registrar amounts in addition to the sums prescribed herein.

(3) As compensation for their services in assisting the county election commissioners in performance of their duties in the revision of the voter roll as electronically maintained by the Statewide Elections Management System and in assisting the election commissioners, executive committees or boards of supervisors in connection with any election, the registrar shall receive the same daily per diem and limitation on meeting days as provided for the board of election commissioners as set out in Sections 23-15-153 and 23-15-227 to be paid from the general fund of the county.

(4) In any case where an amount has been allowed by the board of supervisors pursuant to this section, such amount shall not be reduced or terminated during the term for which the registrar was elected.

(5) The circuit clerk shall, in addition to any other compensation provided for by law, be entitled to receive as compensation from the board of supervisors the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) per year. This payment shall be for the performance of his or her duties in regard to the conduct of elections and the performance of his or her other duties.

(6) The municipal clerk shall, in addition to any other compensation for performance of duties, be eligible to receive as compensation from the municipality's governing authorities a reasonable amount of additional compensation for reimbursement of costs and for additional duties associated with mail-in registration of voters.

(7) The board of supervisors shall not allow any additional compensation authorized under this section for services as county registrar to any circuit clerk who is receiving fees as compensation for his or her services equal to the limitation on compensation prescribed in Section 9-1-43 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-231 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-231
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-231
Status: in_force

Before every election, the election commissioners shall appoint three (3) persons for each voting precinct to be poll managers, one (1) of whom shall be designated by the election commissioners as election bailiff. For general and special elections, the poll managers shall not all be of the same political party if suitable persons of different political parties can be found in the district. If any person appointed shall fail to attend and serve, the poll managers present, if any, may designate someone to fill his or her place; and if the election commissioners fail to make the appointments or in case of the failure of all those appointed to attend and serve, any three (3) qualified electors present when the polls should be opened may act as poll managers. Provided, however, any person appointed to be poll manager or act as poll manager shall be a qualified elector of the county in which the polling place is located.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-361 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-361
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-361
Status: in_force

(1) The municipal general election ballot shall contain the names of all candidates who have been put in nomination by the municipal primary election of any political party. There shall be printed on the ballots the names of all persons so nominated, whether the nomination be otherwise known or not, upon the written request of one or more of the candidates so nominated, or of any qualified elector who will make oath that he or she was a participant in the primary election, and that the person whose name is presented by him or her was nominated by such primary election. The municipal election commissioners who are required to have the ballots printed, shall also have printed on the ballot in any municipal general election the name of any candidate who, not having been nominated by a political party, shall have been requested to be a candidate for any office by a petition filed with the clerk of the municipality no later than 5:00 p.m. on the same date by which candidates for nomination in the municipal primary elections are required to pay the fee provided for in Section 23-15-309 , and signed by not less than the following number of qualified electors:

(a) For an office elected by the qualified electors of a municipality or a municipal district having a population of one thousand (1,000) or more, not less than fifty (50) qualified electors.

(b) For an office elected by the qualified electors of a municipality or a municipal district having a population of less than one thousand (1,000), not less than fifteen (15) qualified electors.

(2) Unless the petition required above shall be filed no later than 5:00 p.m. on the same date by which candidates for nomination in the municipal primary election are required to pay the fee provided for in Section 23-15-309 , the name of the person requested to be a candidate, unless nominated by a political party, shall not be placed upon the ballot. The ballot shall contain the names of each candidate for each municipal office, and the names shall be listed under the name of the political party the candidate represents as provided by law and as certified to the municipal clerk by the municipal executive committee of such political party. In the event such candidate qualifies as an independent as herein provided, he or she shall be listed on the ballot as an independent candidate.

(3) The clerk of the municipality shall notify the municipal election commissioners of all persons who have filed petitions pursuant to subsection (1) of this section within two (2) business days of the date of filing.

(4) The ballot in elections to fill vacancies in municipal elective office shall contain the names of all persons who have qualified as required by Section 23-15-857 .

(5) The municipal election commission shall determine whether each party candidate in the municipal general election is a qualified elector of the municipality, and of the ward if the office sought is a ward office and shall determine whether each candidate either meets all other qualifications to hold the office he or she is seeking or presents absolute proof that he or she will, subject to no contingencies, meet all qualifications on or before the date of the general or special election at which he or she could be elected to office. The municipal election commission also shall determine whether any candidate has been convicted of any felony in a court of this state, or has been convicted on or after December 8, 1992, of any offense in another state which is a felony under the laws of this state, or has been convicted of any felony in a federal court on or after December 8, 1992. Excepted from the above are convictions of manslaughter and violations of the United States Internal Revenue Code or any violations of the tax laws of this state unless such offense also involved misuse or abuse of his or her office or money coming into his or her hands by virtue of the office. If the municipal election commission finds that a candidate either (a) is not a qualified elector, (b) does not meet all qualifications to hold the office he or she seeks and fails to provide absolute proof, subject to no contingencies, that he or she will meet the qualifications on or before the date of the general or special election at which he or she could be elected, or (c) has been convicted of a felony as described above and not pardoned, then the election commission shall notify the candidate and give the candidate an opportunity to be heard. The election commission shall mail notice to the candidate at least three (3) business days before the hearing to the address provided by the candidate on the qualifying forms, and the committee shall attempt to contact the candidate by telephone, email and facsimile if the candidate provided this information on the forms. If the candidate fails to appear at the hearing or to prove he or she meets all qualifications to hold the office subject to no contingencies, then the name of the candidate shall not be placed upon the ballot.

(6) If after the deadline to qualify as a candidate for an office or after the time for holding any party primary election for an office, only one (1) person has duly qualified to be a candidate for the office in the general election the name of that person shall be placed on the ballot; provided, however, that if not more than one (1) person has duly qualified to be a candidate for each office on the general election ballot, the election for all offices on the ballot shall be dispensed with and the municipal election commission shall declare each candidate elected without opposition if the candidate meets all the qualifications to hold the office as determined pursuant to a review by the election commission in accordance with the provisions of subsection (5) of this section and if the candidate has filed all required campaign finance disclosure reports as required by Section 23-15-807 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-889 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-889
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-889
Status: in_force

It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or offer to sell his or her vote and it shall be likewise unlawful for any person to offer money or anything of substantial value to anyone for his vote. Anyone violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or imprisoned not more than six (6) months, or both.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-47 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-47
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-47
Status: in_force

For the purposes of Sections 23-17-47 through 23-17-59 , the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section:

(a) “ Contribution ” means any gift, subscription, loan, advance, money or anything of value made by a person or political committee for the purpose of influencing the passage or defeat of a measure on the ballot, for the purpose of obtaining signatures for the proposed ballot measures and attempting to place the proposed measure on the ballot, and for the purpose of opposing efforts to place a proposed measure on the ballot; but does not include noncompensated, nonreimbursed volunteer personal services.

(b) “ Person ” means any individual, family, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity.

(c) “ Political committee ” means any person, other than an individual, who receives contributions or makes expenditures for the purpose of influencing the passage or defeat of a measure on the ballot.

(d) “ Expenditure ” means any purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit, gift of money or anything of value, made by any person or political committee for the purpose of influencing any balloted measure, for the purpose of obtaining signatures for a proposed ballot measure and attempting to place the proposed measure on the ballot, and for the purpose of opposing efforts to place a proposed measure on the ballot.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-751 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-751
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-751
Status: in_force

If any registrar or commissioner of elections shall refuse or neglect to perform any of the duties prescribed by Sections 23-15-621 through 23-15-735 , or shall knowingly permit any person to sign a false affidavit or otherwise knowingly permit any person to violate Sections 23-15-621 through 23-15-735 , or shall violate any of the provisions thereof, or if any officer taking the affidavits as provided in said acts shall make any false statement in his certificate thereto attached, he shall, upon conviction, be deemed guilty of a crime and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or by imprisonment in the Penitentiary not exceeding one (1) year, and shall be removed from office.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-821 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-821
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-821
Status: in_force

(1) The personal use of campaign contributions by any elected public officeholder or by any candidate for public office is prohibited.

(a) For the purposes of this section, “ personal use ” is defined as any use, other than expenditures related to gaining or holding public office, or performing the functions and duties of public office, for which the candidate for public office or elected public official would be required to treat the amount of the expenditure as gross income under Section 61 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , 26 USC Section 61 , or any subsequent corresponding Internal Revenue Code of the United States, as from time to time amended. “Personal use” shall not include donations to a political organization, or to a political action committee, or to another candidate.

(b) “ Candidate ” shall mean any individual described in Section 23-15-801(b) , and shall include any person having been a candidate until such time that the person takes office or files a termination report as provided in this section.

(c) “ Officeholder ” shall mean any elected or appointed official from the beginning of his or her term of office until that person no longer holds office.

(2) The following personal use expenditures are specifically prohibited under this section:

(a) Any residential or household items, supplies or expenditures, including mortgage, rent or utility payments for any part of any personal residence where a homestead exemption is claimed of a candidate or officeholder or a member of the candidate's or officeholder's family;

(b) Mortgage, rent or utility payments for any part of any nonresidential property that is owned by a candidate or officeholder or a member of a candidate's or officeholder's family and used for campaign purposes, to the extent the payments exceed the fair market value of the property usage;

(c) Funeral, cremation or burial expenses within a candidate's or officeholder's family;

(d) Clothing, other than items of de minimis value that are used for gaining or holding public office or performing the functions and duties of public office;

(e) Automobiles, except for automobile rental expenses and other automobile expenses related to gaining or holding public office or performing the functions and duties of public office;

(f) Tuition payments within a candidate's or officeholder's family other than those associated with training campaign staff or associated with an officeholder's duties;

(g) Salary payments to a member of a candidate's family, unless the family member is providing bona fide services to the campaign. If a family member provides bona fide services to a campaign, any salary payments in excess of the fair market value of the services provided is personal use;

(h) Nondocumented loans of any type, including loans to candidates;

(i) Travel expenses except for travel expenses of a candidate, officeholder or staff member of the officeholder for travel undertaken as an ordinary and necessary expense of gaining or holding public office, or performing the functions and duties of public office or for attending meetings or conferences of officials similar to the office held or sought, or for an issue the legislative body is or will consider, or attending a state or national convention of any party. If a candidate or officeholder uses campaign contributions to pay expenses associated with travel that involves both personal activities and activities related to gaining or holding public office or performing the functions and duties of public office, the incremental expenses that result from the personal activities are personal use, unless the person(s) benefiting from this use reimburse(s) the campaign account within thirty (30) days for the amount of the incremental expenses; and

(j) Payment of any fines, fees or penalties assessed pursuant to Mississippi law.

(3) Any expense that reasonably relates to gaining or holding public office, or performing the functions and duties of public office is a specifically permitted use of campaign contributions. Such expenditures are not considered personal use expenditures and may include, but are not limited to, the following expenditures:

(a) The defrayal of ordinary and necessary expenses of a candidate or officeholder, including expenses reasonably related to performing the duties of the office held or sought to be held;

(b) Campaign office or officeholder office expenses and equipment, provided the expenditures and the use of the equipment can be directly attributable to the campaign or office held;

(c) Donations to charitable organizations, not-for-profit organizations or for sponsorships, provided the candidate or officeholder does not receive monetary compensation, other than reimbursements of expenses, from the recipient organization;

(d) Gifts of nominal value and donations of a nominal amount made on a special occasion such as a holiday, graduation, marriage, retirement or death, unless made to a member of the candidate's or officeholder's family;

(e) Meal and beverage expenses which are incurred as part of a campaign activity or as a part of a function that is related to the candidate's or officeholder's responsibilities, including meals between and among candidates and/or officeholders that are incurred as an ordinary and necessary expense of seeking, holding or maintaining public office, or seeking, holding or maintaining a position within the Legislature or other publicly elected body;

(f) Reasonable rental or accommodation expenses incurred by an officeholder during a legislative session or a day or days in which the officeholder is required by his or her duties to be at the Capitol or another location outside the officeholder's county of residence. Such rental or accommodation expenses shall not exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) per day, if the officeholder receives per diem, or One Hundred Ninety Dollars ($190.00) per day, if the officeholder receives no per diem. Any expenses incurred under this paragraph (f) must be reported as an expenditure pursuant to this section;

(g) Communication access expenses, including mobile devices and Internet access costs. Examples of communication access expenses include, but are not limited to, the following: captioning on television advertisements; video clips; sign language interpreters; computer-aided real-time (CART) services; and assistive listening devices;

(h) Costs associated with memberships to chambers of commerce and civic organizations;

(i) Legal fees and costs associated with any civil action, criminal prosecution or investigation related to conduct reasonably related to the candidacy or performing the duties of the office held.

(4) Upon filing the termination report required under Section 23-15-807 , any campaign contributions not used to pay for the expenses of gaining or holding public office or performing the functions and duties of public office shall:

(a) Be maintained in a campaign account(s);

(b) Be donated to a political organization, or to a political action committee, or to another candidate;

(c) Be transferred, in whole or in part, into a newly established political action committee or ballot question advocate;

(d) Be donated to a tax-exempt charitable organization as that term is used in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 , 26 USC Section 501 , or any subsequent corresponding Internal Revenue Code of the United States, as from time to time amended;

(e) Be donated to the State of Mississippi; or

(f) Be returned to a donor or donors.

(5) Any candidate for public office or any elected official who willfully violates this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punished by a fine of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) and by a state assessment equal to the amount of misappropriated campaign contributions. The state assessment shall be deposited into the Public Employees' Retirement System. No fine or assessment imposed under this section shall be paid by a third party.

(6) Any contributions accruing to a candidate's or officeholder's campaign account before January 1, 2018, shall be exempt and not subject to the provisions of this section. All exempt contributions must be designated as exempt on all reports filed with the Secretary of State pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

(7) The Mississippi Ethics Commission shall issue advisory opinions regarding any of the requirements set forth in this section. When any officeholder or candidate requests an advisory opinion, in writing, and has stated all of the facts to govern the opinion, and the Ethics Commission has prepared and delivered the opinion with references to the request, there shall be no civil or criminal liability accruing to or against any officeholder or candidate who, in good faith, follows the direction of the opinion and acts in accordance with the opinion, unless a court of competent jurisdiction, after a full hearing, judicially declares that the opinion is manifestly wrong and without any substantial support. No opinion shall be given or considered if the opinion would be given after judicial proceedings have commenced.

All advisory opinions issued pursuant to the provisions of this subsection (7) shall be made public and shall be issued within ninety (90) days of written request. The request for an advisory opinion shall be confidential as to the identity of the individual making the request. The Ethics Commission shall, so far as practicable and before making public, an advisory opinion issued under the provisions of on this subsection (7), make such deletions and changes thereto as may be necessary to ensure the anonymity of the public official and any other person named in the opinion.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-623 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-623
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-623
Status: in_force

All absentee ballots as authorized in Sections 23-15-671 through 23-15-697 , in Sections 23-15-711 through 23-15-721 , and Sections 23-15-731 and 23-15-733 , shall be handled as provided in Sections 23-15-621 through 23-15-653 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-881 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-881
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-881
Status: in_force

It shall be unlawful for the Mississippi Transportation Commission or any member of the Mississippi Transportation Commission, or the board of supervisors of any county or any member of the board of supervisors of such county, to employ, during the months of May, June, July and August of any year in which a general primary election is held for the nomination and election of members of the Mississippi Transportation Commission and members of the boards of supervisors, a greater number of persons to work and maintain the state highways, in any highway district, or the public roads, in any supervisors district of the county, as the case may be, than the average number of persons employed for similar purposes in such highway district or supervisors district, as the case may be, during the months of May, June, July and August of the three (3) years immediately preceding the year in which such general primary election is held. It shall be unlawful for the Mississippi Transportation Commission, or the board of supervisors of any county, to expend out of the state highway funds, or the road funds of the county or any supervisors district thereof, as the case may be, in the payment of wages or other compensation for labor performed in working and maintaining the highways of any highway district, or the public roads of any supervisors district of the county, as the case may be, during the months of May, June, July and August of such election year, a total amount in excess of the average total amount expended for such labor, in such highway district or supervisors district, as the case may be, during the corresponding four-month period of the three (3) years immediately preceding.

It shall be the duty of the Mississippi Transportation Commission and the board of supervisors of each county, respectively, to keep sufficient records of the numbers of employees and expenditures made for labor on the state highways of each highway district, and the public roads of each supervisors district, for the months of May, June, July and August of each year, to show the number of persons employed for such work in each highway district and each supervisors district, as the case may be, during said four-month period, and the total amount expended in the payment of salaries and other compensation to such employees, so that it may be ascertained, from an examination of such records, whether or not the provisions of this chapter have been violated.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-783 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-783
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-783
Status: in_force

The laws regulating the general elections shall in all respects apply to and govern elections of electors of President and Vice-President.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-240 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-240
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-240
Status: in_force

(1) The officials in charge of the election in a county or municipality may, in their discretion, appoint not more than two (2) students for each precinct to serve as student interns during elections. To be appointed a student intern a student must:

(a) Be recommended by a principal or other school official, or the person responsible for the student's legitimate home instruction program;

(b) Be at least sixteen (16) years of age at the time of the election for which the appointment is made;

(c) Be a resident of the county or municipality for which the appointment is made;

(d) Be enrolled in a public high school, an accredited private high school or a legitimate home instruction program and be classified as a junior or senior or its equivalent, or be enrolled in a junior college or a college or university; and

(e) Meet any additional qualifications considered necessary by the officials in charge of the election in the county or municipality.

(2)(a) The duties of the student interns appointed pursuant to this section shall be determined by the officials in charge of the election in the county or municipality; however, the duties shall not include:

(i) Determining the qualifications of a voter in case a voter is challenged;

(ii) The discharge of any duties related to affidavit ballots;

(iii) The operation and maintenance of any voting equipment;

(iv) Any duties normally assigned to a bailiff; or

(v) The tallying of votes.

(b) Student interns shall at all times be under the supervision of the poll managers of the election while performing their duties at precincts.

(3) Before performing any duties, student interns shall attend all required training for poll managers of the county or municipality and any additional training considered necessary by the officials in charge of the election in the county or municipality.

(4) As used in this section “ officials in charge of the election ” means the county or municipal executive committee, as appropriate, in primary elections and the county or municipal election commission, as appropriate, in all other elections.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-855 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-855
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-855
Status: in_force

(1) If a vacancy shall occur in the office of United States Senator from Mississippi by death, resignation or otherwise, the Governor shall, within ten (10) days after receiving official notice of the vacancy, issue a proclamation for an election to be held in the state to elect a Senator to fill the remaining unexpired term, provided the unexpired term is more than twelve (12) months and the election shall be held within ninety (90) days from the time the proclamation is issued and the returns of such election shall be certified to the Governor in the manner set out above for regular elections, unless the vacancy occurs in a year in which a general state or congressional election is held, in which event the Governor's proclamation shall designate the general election day as the time for electing a Senator, and the vacancy shall be filled by appointment as hereinafter provided.

(2) In case of a vacancy in the office of United States Senator, the Governor may appoint a Senator to fill the vacancy temporarily, and if the United States Senate be in session at the time the vacancy occurs the Governor shall appoint a Senator within ten (10) days after receiving official notice thereof, and the appointed Senator shall serve until a successor is elected and commissioned as provided for in subsection (1) of this section, provided that such unexpired term as he or she may be appointed to fill shall be for a longer time than one (1) year, but if for a shorter time than one (1) year, he or she shall serve for the full time of the unexpired term and no special election shall be called by the Governor but a successor shall be elected at the regular election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-801 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-801
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-801
Status: in_force

(a) “ Election ” means a general, special, primary or runoff election.

(b) “ Candidate ” means an individual who seeks nomination for election, or election, to any elective office other than a federal elective office. For purposes of this article, an individual shall be deemed to seek nomination for election, or election:

(i) If the individual has received contributions aggregating in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) or has made expenditures aggregating in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) or for a candidate for the Legislature or any statewide or state district office, by the qualifying deadlines specified in Sections 23-15-299 and 23-15-977 , whichever occurs first; or

(ii) If the individual has given his or her consent to another person to receive contributions or make expenditures on behalf of the individual and if the other person has received contributions aggregating in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) during a calendar year, or has made expenditures aggregating in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) during a calendar year.

(c) “ Political committee ” means any committee, party, club, association, political action committee, campaign committee or other groups of persons or affiliated organizations that receives contributions aggregating in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) during a calendar year or that makes expenditures aggregating in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) during a calendar year for the purpose of influencing or attempting to influence the action of voters for or against the nomination for election, or election, of one or more candidates, or balloted measures. Political committee shall, in addition, include each political party registered with the Secretary of State.

(d) “ Affiliated organization ” means any organization that is not a political committee, but that directly or indirectly establishes, administers or financially supports a political committee.

(e)(i) “ Contribution ” shall include any gift, subscription, loan, advance or deposit of money or anything of value made by any person or political committee for the purpose of influencing any election for elective office or balloted measure;

(ii) “Contribution” shall not include the value of services provided without compensation by any individual who volunteers on behalf of a candidate or political committee; or the cost of any food or beverage for use in any candidate's campaign or for use by or on behalf of any political committee of a political party;

(iii) “ Contribution to a political party ” includes any gift, subscription, loan, advance or deposit of money or anything of value made by any person, political committee, or other organization to a political party and to any committee, subcommittee, campaign committee, political committee and other groups of persons and affiliated organizations of the political party;

(iv) “Contribution to a political party” shall not include the value of services provided without compensation by any individual who volunteers on behalf of a political party or a candidate of a political party.

(f)(i) “ Expenditure ” shall include any purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit, gift of money or anything of value, made by any person or political committee for the purpose of influencing any balloted measure or election for elective office; and a written contract, promise, or agreement to make an expenditure;

(ii) “Expenditure” shall not include any news story, commentary or editorial distributed through the facilities of any broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication, unless the facilities are owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate; or nonpartisan activity designed to encourage individuals to vote or to register to vote;

(iii) “ Expenditure by a political party ” includes 1. any purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit, gift of money or anything of value, made by any political party and by any contractor, subcontractor, agent, and consultant to the political party; and 2. a written contract, promise, or agreement to make such an expenditure.

(g) The term “ identification ” shall mean:

(i) In the case of any individual, the name, the mailing address, and the occupation of such individual, as well as the name of his or her employer; and

(ii) In the case of any other person, the full name and address of the person.

(h) The term “ political party ” shall mean an association, committee or organization which nominates a candidate for election to any elective office whose name appears on the election ballot as the candidate of the association, committee or organization.

(i) The term “ person ” shall mean any individual, family, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity.

(j) The term “ independent expenditure ” shall mean an expenditure by a person expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate that is made without cooperation or consultation with any candidate or any authorized committee or agent of the candidate, and that is not made in concert with or at the request or suggestion of any candidate or any authorized committee or agent of the candidate.

(k) The term “ clearly identified ” shall mean that:

(i) The name of the candidate involved appears; or

(ii) A photograph or drawing of the candidate appears; or

(iii) The identity of the candidate is apparent by unambiguous reference.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-300 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-300
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-300
Status: in_force

(1) Any candidate for any municipal, county or county district office shall be a resident of the municipality, county, county district or other territory that he or she seeks to represent in such office for two (2) years immediately preceding the day of election. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any municipality with less than one thousand (1,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census.

(2) A candidate shall prove in his or her qualifying information that he or she meets the applicable residency requirement or provide absolute proof, subject to no contingencies, that he or she will meet the residency requirement on or before the date of the election at which the candidate could be elected to office. The appropriate election official or executive committee, whichever is applicable, with whom a candidate files qualifying information shall review and determine whether the candidate meets the applicable residency requirement according to the procedures in Section 23-15-299 . The appropriate election commission shall review and determine whether a candidate required to file qualifying information with it meets the applicable residency requirement according to the procedures in Section 23-15-359 .

(3) If the qualifications for an elected office include a specific residency requirement, the residency requirement in this section shall not apply.

(4) This section shall apply to elections held from and after January 1, 2020.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-557 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-557
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-557
Status: in_force

The governing authorities of any municipality within the State of Mississippi are hereby authorized and empowered, in their discretion, to divide the municipality into a sufficient number of voting precincts of such size and location as is necessary, and there shall be the same number of polling places. The authority conducting an election shall not be required, however, to establish a polling place in each of said precincts, but such election authorities, whether in a primary or in a general election, may locate and establish such polling places, without regard to precinct lines, in such manner as in the discretion of such authority will better accommodate the electorate and better facilitate the holding of the election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-533.3 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-533.3
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-533.3
Status: in_force

(1) For any election held in this state after January 1, 2024, the officials in charge of the election shall only use voting systems as defined by Section 23-15-533.1 .

(2) The board of supervisors of any county may authorize the circuit clerk or election commission to make application for grants under the procedures and within the certification requirements established by the department.

(3) Each county shall be eligible to receive a pro rata share of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the grant program based on the number of voting polling places in that county.

(4) Counties may apply for grants for:

(a) Purchasing of voting system hardware, including the software necessary to operate that hardware; and

(b) Incurring of other eligible expenses related to the costs of conducting elections only if:

(i) The county is already in compliance with subsection (1) of this section through previously acquired voting hardware or software or both prior to April 19, 2022, that would have been eligible for purchase under this grant program; or

(ii) The county will have funds remaining from its pro rata share provided for in subsection (3) of this section after purchasing the necessary voting systems to bring the county in compliance with subsection (1) of this section.

(5) Any county receiving a grant for the future purchase of a voting system shall submit proof of payment to the department immediately upon completing the purchase.

(6) Any county receiving funds for the incurring of other eligible expenses shall first apply the received funds under this grant program toward any existing indebtedness for the purchase of voting hardware or software.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-574 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-574
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-574
Status: in_force

If the enactment of any state or federal law shall require any modification to the form or language of the affidavit prescribed in Section 23-15-573 , then the Secretary of State shall be authorized to promulgate an amended form of the affidavit to comply with the requirements of any such state or federal law, which shall be required to be used in all elections throughout this state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-297 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-297
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-297
Status: in_force

(1) All candidates, upon entering the race for party nominations for office, shall first pay to the proper officer as provided for in Section 23-15-299 for each primary election the following amounts:

(a) Candidates for Governor, the amount determined by the state executive committee of the party pursuant to subsection (2) of this section but no less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) and no more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00).

(b) Candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Auditor of Public Accounts, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, State Highway Commissioner and State Public Service Commissioner, the amount determined by the state executive committee of the party pursuant to subsection (2) of this section but no less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) and no more than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00).

(c) Candidates for State Senator and State Representative, Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00).

(d) Candidates for district attorney, Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00).

(e) Candidates for sheriff, chancery clerk, circuit clerk, tax assessor, tax collector, county attorney, county superintendent of education and board of supervisors, One Hundred Dollars ($100.00).

(f) Candidates for county surveyor, county coroner and constable, One Hundred Dollars ($100.00).

(g) Candidates for United States Senator, the amount determined by the state executive committee of the party pursuant to subsection (2) of this section but no less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) and no more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00).

(h) Candidates for United States Representative, the amount determined by the state executive committee of the party pursuant to subsection (2) of this section but no less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) and no more than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00).

(2)(a) The state executive committee of a political party shall set the entry fee that a candidate is to pay upon entering the race for party nominations for the offices listed in paragraphs (a), (b), (g) and (h) of subsection (1) of this section and Section 23-15-1093(2)(a) . The authority granted under this subsection shall not be exercised by any state executive committee of a political party for any individual office more than once every two (2) years, beginning July 1, 2022.

(b) Each state executive committee of a political party shall report the entry fee determined for each office to the Secretary of State by October 1 of the year before the election is held for that office. If a state executive committee does not meet the deadline in this paragraph for any office, the minimum entry fee shall be assessed for the office in that party's primary election during that election cycle.

(3) All independent candidates and special election candidates entering the race for office shall pay to the proper officer as provided for in Section 23-15-299 the following amounts:

(a) Candidates for Governor, One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00).

(b) Candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Auditor of Public Accounts, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, State Highway Commissioner and State Public Service Commissioner, Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00).

(c) Candidates for district attorney, State Senator and State Representative, Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00).

(d) Candidates for sheriff, chancery clerk, circuit clerk, tax assessor, tax collector, county attorney, county superintendent of education and board of supervisors, One Hundred Dollars ($100.00).

(e) Candidates for county surveyor, county coroner and constable, One Hundred Dollars ($100.00).

(f) Candidates for United States Senator, One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00).

(g) Candidates for United States Representative, Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00).

(4) The Secretary of State shall publish the fees listed in this section and Section 23-15-1093 no later than forty-five (45) days before the qualifying period begins for each office.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-547 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-547
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-547
Status: in_force

Instead of placing the signatures of voters in a paper receipt book, the signatures of voters may be electronically captured in the polling place and a paper version of the signatures of voters may be generated after the close of the polling place, which shall be sealed in the ballot box.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-831 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-831
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-831
Status: in_force

When a vacancy other than in the Legislature occurs by death, resignation or otherwise, in any state or state district elected office, and there is no special provision of law for filling the vacancy, the same shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment by the Governor.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-217 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-217
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-217
Status: in_force

(1) An election commissioner of any county may be a candidate for any other office at any election held or to be held during the four-year term for which he or she has been elected to the office of election commissioner; provided that he or she has resigned from the office of election commissioner before he or she files to qualify for the office that he or she desires to seek. The clerk for the board of supervisors must have actually received the resignation for it to be deemed submitted.

(2) In any case involving the election of a county election commissioner wherein there is a contest of any nature, including, but not limited to, the right of any person to vote or the counting of any challenge ballot, all the duties and powers of the commission in connection with the contest shall be performed by the board of supervisors, as is contemplated by Section 23-15-215 in cases where there are no election commissioners in the county.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-891 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-891
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-891
Status: in_force

No common carrier, Internet service provider or telephone company shall give to any candidate, or to any member of any political committee, or to any person to be used to aid or promote the success or defeat of any candidate for election for any public office, free transportation or Internet service or telephone service, as the case may be, or any reduction thereof that is not made alike to all other persons. All persons required by the provisions of this chapter to make and file statements shall make oath that they have not received or made use of, directly or indirectly, in connection with any candidacy for nomination to any public office, free transportation or Internet or telephone service.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-69 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-69
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-69
Status: in_force

All cases on appeal shall be heard by the boards of election commissioners de novo, and oral and documentary evidence may be heard by them; and they are authorized to administer oaths to witnesses before them; and they have power to subpoena witnesses, and to compel their attendance; to send for persons and papers; to require the sheriff and constables to attend them and to execute their process. The decisions of the commissioners in all cases shall be final as to questions of fact, but as to matters of law they may be revised by circuit courts and the Supreme Court. The registrar shall obey the orders of the commissioners in directing a person to be registered, or a name to be stricken from the Statewide Elections Management System.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-31 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-31
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-31
Status: in_force

(1) Whenever the Legislature rejects a measure submitted to it by initiative petition and adopts an amendment to the measure proposed by initiative petition, then the Secretary of State shall give the measure adopted by the Legislature the same number as that borne by the initiative measure followed by the letter “A.” Such measure so designated as “Alternative Measure No. __________A,” together with the ballot title thereof, when ascertained, shall be certified by the Secretary of State to the county election commissioners for printing on the ballots for submission to the voters for their approval or rejection at the next statewide general election.

(2) The chief legislative budget officer shall prepare a fiscal analysis of each initiative and each legislative alternative. A summary of each fiscal analysis shall appear on the ballot.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-593 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-593
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-593
Status: in_force

When the ballot box is opened and examined by the county executive committee in the case of a primary election, or county election commissioners in the case of other elections, and it is found that there have been failures in material particulars to comply with the requirements of Section 23-15-591 and Section 23-15-895 to such an extent that it is impossible to arrive at the will of the voters at such precinct, the entire box may be thrown out unless it be made to appear with reasonable certainty that the irregularities were not deliberately permitted or engaged in by the poll managers at that box, or by one (1) of them responsible for the wrong or wrongs, for the purpose of electing or defeating a certain candidate or candidates by manipulating the election or the returns thereof at that box in such manner as to have it thrown out; in which latter case the county executive committee, or the county election commission, as appropriate, shall conduct such hearing and make such determination in respect to the box as may appear lawfully just, subject to a judicial review of the matter as elsewhere provided by this chapter. Or the executive committee, or the election commission, or the court upon review, may order another election to be held at that box appointing new poll managers to hold the same.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-643 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-643
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-643
Status: in_force

If an affidavit is required, the appropriate election officials shall examine the affidavit of each absentee ballot envelope. If the officials are satisfied that the affidavit is sufficient and that the absentee voter is otherwise qualified to vote, an official shall announce the name of the voter and shall give any person present an opportunity to challenge in like manner and for the same cause as the voter could have been challenged had he presented himself personally in such precinct to vote. The ineligibility of the voter to vote by absentee ballot shall be a ground for a challenge. Also, the officials shall consider any absentee voter challenged when a person has previously filed a written challenge of such voter's right to vote. The election officials shall handle any such challenge in the same manner as other challenged ballots are handled.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-9 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-9
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-9
Status: in_force

Within seven (7) calendar days after the receipt of an initiative measure, the Attorney General shall formulate and transmit to the Secretary of State a concise statement posed as a question and not to exceed twenty (20) words, bearing the serial number of the measure and a summary of the measure, not to exceed seventy-five (75) words, to follow the statement. The statement shall give a true and impartial statement of the purpose of the measure. Neither the statement nor the summary may intentionally be an argument, nor likely to create prejudice, either for or against the measure. Such concise statement shall constitute the ballot title. The ballot title formulated by the Attorney General shall be the ballot title of the measure unless changed on appeal. When practicable, the question posed by the ballot title shall be written in such a way that an affirmative answer to such question and an affirmative vote on the measure would result in a change in then current law, and a negative answer to the question and a negative vote on the measure would result in no change to then current law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-17 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-17
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-17
Status: in_force

(1) The person proposing an initiative measure shall print blank petitions upon single sheets of paper of good writing quality not less than eight and one-half (8- 1 / 2 ) inches in width and not less than fourteen (14) inches in length. Each sheet shall have a full, true and correct copy of the proposed measure referred to therein printed on the reverse side of the petition or attached thereto.

(2) Only a person who is a qualified elector of this state may circulate a petition or obtain signatures on a petition.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-55 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-55
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-55
Status: in_force

It is unlawful for any person to distribute or post material in support of or in opposition to a measure within one hundred fifty (150) feet of any entrance to a polling place where the election is held.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-721 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-721
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-721
Status: in_force

(1) Absentee ballots requested under the provisions of Section 23-15-715 for electors temporarily residing outside the county of residence shall be mailed to the elector's address outside of the county in which he or she is registered, and such electors shall appear before any official authorized to administer oaths or other official authorized to witness absentee balloting as provided in this article. The elector shall exhibit to such official his or her absentee ballot unmarked and thereupon proceed in secret to fill in the ballot. After the elector has properly marked the ballot and properly folded it, he or she shall deposit it in the envelope furnished to him or her. After the elector has sealed the envelope he or she shall deliver it to the official before whom he or she is appearing and shall subscribe and swear to the elector's certificate provided for in Section 23-15-635 , which affidavit shall be printed on the back of the envelope as provided for in Section 23-15-635 containing the elector's ballot.

(2) Electors who are temporarily or permanently physically disabled shall sign the elector's certificate and the certificate of attesting witness shall be signed by any person eighteen (18) years of age or older.

(3) After the completion of the requirements of this section, the elector shall mail the envelope containing the ballot to the registrar in the county wherein the elector is qualified to vote. The ballots must be postmarked by the date of the election and received by the registrar no more than five (5) business days after the election to be counted; any received after such time shall be handled as provided in Section 23-15-647 and shall not be counted.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-51 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-51
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-51
Status: in_force

(1) A political committee that either receives contributions or makes expenditures in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) shall file financial reports with the Secretary of State.

(2) An individual person who on his or her own behalf expends in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) for the purpose of influencing the passage or defeat of a measure shall file financial reports with the Secretary of State.

(3) The financial reports required in this section shall be filed monthly, not later than the tenth day of the month following the month being reported, after a political committee or an individual exceeds the contribution or expenditure limits. Financial reports must continue to be filed until all contributions and expenditures cease. In all cases a financial report shall be filed thirty (30) days following the election on a measure.

(4) Any person, who violates the provisions of this section, shall be subject to a fine as provided in Section 23-15-813 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-753 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-753
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-753
Status: in_force

(1) Any person who willfully, unlawfully and feloniously procures, seeks to procure, or seeks to influence the vote of any person voting by absentee ballot, by the payment of money, the promise of payment of money, or by the delivery of any other item of value or promise to give the voter any item of value, or by promising or giving the voter any favor or reward in an effort to influence his vote, or any person who aids, abets, assists, encourages, helps, or causes any person voting an absentee ballot to violate any provision of law pertaining to absentee voting, or any person who sells his vote for money, favor, or reward, has been paid or promised money, a reward, a favor or favors, or any other item of value, or any person who fraudulently requests or submits an absentee ballot application for any voter, or any person who shall willfully swear falsely to any affidavit provided for in Sections 23-15-621 through 23-15-735 , shall be guilty of the crime of “vote fraud” and, upon conviction, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail for no more than one (1) year, or by both fine and imprisonment, or by being sentenced to the State Penitentiary for not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years.

(2) It shall be unlawful for any person who pays or compensates another person for assisting voters in marking their absentee ballots to base the pay or compensation on the number of absentee voters assisted or the number of absentee ballots cast by persons who have received the assistance. Any person who violates this section, upon conviction, shall be fined not less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or imprisoned in the Penitentiary not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years, or both.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-31 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-31
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-31
Status: in_force

All of the provisions of this subarticle shall be applicable, insofar as possible, to municipal, primary, general and special elections; and wherever therein any duty is imposed or any power or authority is conferred upon the county registrar, county election commissioners or county executive committee with reference to a state and county election, such duty shall likewise be conferred upon the municipal registrar, municipal election commission or municipal executive committee with reference to any municipal election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-135 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-135
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-135
Status: in_force

(1) The master voter roll as electronically maintained by the Statewide Elections Management System of the several voting precincts of each county and the pollbooks heretofore in use shall be delivered to the registrar of the county, and they, together with the master voter roll and pollbooks hereafter made, shall be records of his or her office, and he or she shall carefully preserve the same as such; and after each election the pollbooks shall be speedily returned to the office of the registrar.

(2) The registrar of each county shall provide a location in the registrar's office at which he or she shall accept applications for Mississippi Voter Identification Cards in accordance with the Mississippi Constitution.

(3) The registrar of each county shall enter into a Memorandum of Understanding, which is negotiated by the Secretary of State, with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety for the purpose of providing a Mississippi Voter Identification Card.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-629 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-629
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-629
Status: in_force

(1) The application for an absentee ballot of a person who is permanently physically disabled shall be accompanied by a statement signed by such person's physician, or nurse practitioner, which statement must show that the person signing the statement is a licensed, practicing medical doctor or nurse practitioner and must indicate that the person applying for the absentee ballot is permanently physically disabled to such a degree that it is difficult for him or her to vote in person.

(2) An application accompanied by the statement provided for in subsection (1) of this section shall entitle such permanently physically disabled person to automatically receive an absentee ballot for all elections on a continuing basis without the necessity for reapplication.

(3) The registrar of each county shall keep an accurate list of the names and addresses of all persons whose applications for absentee ballot are accompanied by the statement set forth in subsection (1) of this section. Sixty (60) days before each election, the registrar shall deliver such list to the election commissioners who shall examine the list and delete from it the names of all persons listed who are no longer qualified electors of the county. Upon completion of such examination, the election commissioners shall return the list to the registrar by no later than forty-five (45) days before the election.

(4) The registrar shall mail a ballot to all persons who are determined by the election commissioners to be qualified electors pursuant to subsection (3) of this section by no later than forty (40) days before the election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-169.2 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-169.2
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-169.2
Status: in_force

The Commissioner of Public Safety shall enter into an agreement with the Commissioner of Social Security under Section 205(r)(8) of the Social Security Act in accordance with the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to verify the accuracy of applicable information provided by the Commissioner of Public Safety with respect to applications for voter registration.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-60 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-60
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-60
Status: in_force

Any person who alleges that his or her signature on an initiative petition was obtained as the result of fraud or coercion, or that the person was intentionally misled as to the substance or effect of the petition, may have his or her signature removed from the initiative petition upon filing an affidavit to such effect with the Secretary of State anytime before the Secretary of State has accepted and filed the petition under Section 23-17-23 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-73 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-73
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-73
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of the commissioners, in case of appeal from their decision, to return the bill of exceptions and the appeal bond into the circuit court of the county within five (5) days after the filing of the same with them; and the circuit courts shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine such appeals.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-237 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-237
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-237
Status: in_force

The poll managers shall be sworn by some officer present competent to administer oaths, or each may be sworn by one of the others, faithfully to perform their duties at the election according to law, and not to attempt to guide, aid, direct or influence any voter in the exercise of his or her right to vote, except as expressly allowed by law. The oath required by this section shall be recorded in the receipt book and signed by each poll manager.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-165 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-165
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-165
Status: in_force

(1) The Office of the Secretary of State, in cooperation with the county registrars and election commissioners, shall procure, implement and maintain an electronic information processing system and programs capable of maintaining a centralized database of all registered voters in the state. The system shall encompass software and hardware, at both the state and county level, software development training, conversion and support and maintenance for the system. The Secretary of State shall equip the Statewide Elections Management System with appropriate security measures to protect private information of the registered voter and the integrity of Mississippi elections. This system shall be known as the “Statewide Elections Management System” and shall constitute the official record of registered voters in every county of the state.

(2) The Office of the Secretary of State shall develop and implement the Statewide Elections Management System so that the registrar and election commissioners of each county shall:

(a) Verify that an applicant that is registering to vote in that county is not registered to vote in another county;

(b) Be notified automatically that a registered voter in its county has registered to vote in another county;

(c) Receive regular reports of death, changes of address and convictions for disenfranchising crimes that apply to voters registered in the county;

(d) Retain all present functionality related to, but not limited to, the use of voter roll data and to implement such other functionality as the law requires to enhance the maintenance of accurate county voter records and related jury selection and redistricting programs; and

(e) When evidence exists that a registered voter may not be a citizen of the United States as provided in Section 23-15-15 , send notification to the registrar of the location where the person is registered to vote.

(3) As a part of the procurement and implementation of the system, the Office of the Secretary of State shall, with the assistance of the advisory committee, procure services necessary to convert current voter registration records in the counties into a standard, industry accepted file format that can be used on the Statewide Elections Management System. Thereafter, all official voter information shall be maintained on the Statewide Elections Management System. The standard industry accepted format of data was reviewed and approved by a majority of the advisory committee created in subsection (5) of this section after consultation with the Circuit Clerks Association and the format may not be changed without consulting the Circuit Clerks Association.

(4) The Secretary of State may, with the assistance of the advisory committee, adopt rules and regulations necessary to administer the Statewide Elections Management System. The rules and regulations shall at least:

(a) Provide for the establishment and maintenance of a centralized database for all voter registration information in the state;

(b) Provide procedures for integrating data into the centralized database;

(c) Provide security to ensure that only the registrar, or his or her designee or other appropriate official, as the law may require, can add information to, delete information from and modify information in the system;

(d) Provide the registrar or his or her designee or other appropriate official, as the law may require, access to the system at all times, including the ability to download copies of the industry standard file, for all purposes related to their official duties, including, but not limited to, exclusive access for the purpose of printing all local pollbooks;

(e) Provide security and protection of all information in the system and monitor the system to ensure that unauthorized access is not allowed;

(f) Provide a procedure that will allow the registrar, or his or her designee or other appropriate official, as the law may require, to identify the precinct to which a voter should be assigned; and

(g) Provide a procedure for phasing in or converting existing manual and computerized voter registration systems in counties to the Statewide Elections Management System.

(5) The Secretary of State established an advisory committee to assist in developing system specifications, procurement, implementation and maintenance of the Statewide Elections Management System. The committee included two (2) representatives from the Circuit Clerks Association, appointed by the association; two (2) representatives from the Election Commissioners Association of Mississippi, appointed by the association; one (1) member of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors, or its staff, appointed by the association; the Director of the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University, or his or her designee; the Executive Director of the Department of Information Technology Services, or his or her designee; two (2) persons knowledgeable about elections and information technology appointed by the Secretary of State; and the Secretary of State, who shall serve as the chair of the advisory committee.

(6)(a) Social security numbers, telephone numbers, email addresses, and date of birth and age information in statewide, district, county and municipal voter registration files shall be exempt from and shall not be subject to inspection, examination, copying or reproduction under the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983.

(b) Copies of statewide, district, county or municipal voter registration files, excluding social security numbers, telephone numbers, email addresses, and date of birth and age information, shall be provided to any person in accordance with the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983 at a cost not to exceed the actual cost of production.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-123 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-123
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-123
Status: in_force

If at any time the registration books of the county as maintained by the Statewide Elections Management System be or become in such confusion that a new registration is necessary to determine correctly the names of the qualified electors and the voting precinct of each, the board of supervisors shall order a new registration of voters to be made in like manner as provided for in Section 23-15-121 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-369 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-369
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-369
Status: in_force

(1)(a) Whenever a constitutional amendment is submitted to the vote of the people, the substance of the amendment shall be printed in clear and unambiguous language on the ballot after the list of candidates, if any, followed by the word “YES” and also by the word “NO”, and shall be styled in such a manner that a “YES” vote will indicate approval of the proposal and a “NO” vote will indicate rejection.

(b) The substance of the amendment shall be an explanatory statement not exceeding seventy-five (75) words in length of the chief purpose of the measure. The statement shall be prepared by the Legislature and included in the concurrent resolution proposing the amendment to the Constitution. The statement shall avoid, whenever possible, the use of legal terminology or jargon and shall use instead, simple, ordinary, everyday language. The Secretary of State shall give each proposed constitutional amendment a designating number for convenient reference specific to the election in which the amendment appears on the ballot. This number designation shall appear on the ballot. Designating numbers shall be assigned in the order of filing or certification of the amendments. The Secretary of State shall furnish the designating number and the substance of each amendment to the circuit clerk of each county in which the amendment is to be voted on.

(c) The full text of each proposed constitutional amendment shall be published by the Secretary of State as provided for in Section 7-3-39 , and shall be posted prominently in all polling places, with copies of the proposed amendment to be otherwise available at each polling place.

(2) Except as may be otherwise provided in subsection (1) of this section, whenever any public measure, question or matter that requires an affirmative or negative vote is submitted to a vote of the electors, the measure or matter shall be printed on the ballot and also the words “FOR” or “AGAINST” to be so arranged by the proper officer so that the voter can intelligently vote his or her preference.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-3 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-3
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-3
Status: in_force

The petition for a proposed initiative measure must be filed with the Secretary of State not less than ninety (90) days before the first day of the regular session of the Legislature at which it is to be submitted. A petition is valid for a period of twelve (12) months.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-849 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-849
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-849
Status: in_force

(1) Vacancies in the office of circuit judge or chancellor shall be filled for the unexpired term by the qualified electors at the next regular special election occurring more than nine (9) months after the vacancy to be filled occurred, and the term of office of the person elected to fill a vacancy shall commence on the first Monday in January following the election. Upon the occurrence of a vacancy, the Governor shall appoint a qualified person from the district in which the vacancy exists to hold the office and discharge the duties thereof until the vacancy is filled by election as provided in this subsection.

(2)(a) If half or more than half of the term remains, vacancies in the office of justice of the Supreme Court or judge of the Court of Appeals shall be filled for the unexpired term by the qualified electors at the next regular election for state officers or for representatives in Congress occurring more than nine (9) months after the vacancy to be filled occurred, and the term of office of the person elected to fill a vacancy shall commence on the first Monday in January following the election. If less than half of the term remains, vacancies in the office of justice of the Supreme Court or judge of the Court of Appeals shall be filled for the remaining unexpired term solely by appointment as provided in this subsection.

(b) Upon occurrence of a vacancy, the Governor shall appoint a qualified person from the district in which the vacancy exists to hold the office and discharge the duties thereof as follows:

(i) If less than half of the term remains, the appointee shall serve until expiration of the term;

(ii) If half or more than half of the term remains, the appointee shall serve until the vacancy is filled by election as provided in subsection (1) of this section for judges of the circuit and chancery courts. Elections to fill vacancies in the office of justice of the Supreme Court or judge of the Court of Appeals shall be held, conducted, returned and the persons elected commissioned in accordance with the law governing regular elections for justices of the Supreme Court or judges of the Court of Appeals to the extent applicable.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-355 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-355
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-355
Status: in_force

Ballots in all elections shall be printed and distributed at public expense and shall be known as “official ballots.” The expense of printing the ballots shall be paid out of the county treasury, except that in municipal elections such expenses shall be paid by the respective cities, towns and villages.

In the case of a statewide special election on the new design for the official Mississippi State Flag provided for in Section 2 of Chapter 427, Laws of 2020, the provisions of this section regarding payment of the expenses of printing the official ballots shall be governed by the provisions of Section 2(3) of Chapter 427, Laws of 2020.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-631 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-631
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-631
Status: in_force

(1) The registrar shall enclose with each ballot mailed to an absent elector separate printed instructions furnished by the registrar containing the following:

(a) All absentee voters, excepting those with temporary or permanent physical disabilities or those who are sixty-five (65) years of age or older, who mark their ballots in the county of the residence shall use the registrar of that county as the witness. The absentee voter shall come to the office of the registrar and neither the registrar nor his or her deputy shall be required to go out of the registrar's office to serve as an attesting witness.

(b) Upon receipt of the enclosed ballot, you will not mark the ballot except in view or sight of the attesting witness. In the sight or view of the attesting witness, mark the ballot according to instructions.

(c) After marking the ballot, fill out and sign the “ELECTOR'S CERTIFICATE” in the box on the back of the envelope so that the signature is across the flap of the envelope to ensure the integrity of the ballot. All absent electors shall have the attesting witness sign the “ATTESTING WITNESS CERTIFICATE” in the box across the flap on the back of the envelope. A portion of the elector's signature extending outside of the box shall not be grounds for rejecting that elector's ballot. Place the necessary postage on the envelope and deposit it in the post office or some government receptacle provided for the deposit of mail so that the absent elector's ballot will be postmarked on or before the date of the election and received by the registrar no more than five (5) business days after the election. The ballot may only be transmitted by the United States Postal Service or other common carriers, including, but not limited to, United Parcel Service or FedEx Corporation.

Any notary public, United States postmaster, assistant United States postmaster, United States postal supervisor, clerk in charge of a contract postal station, or other officer having authority to administer an oath or take an acknowledgment may be an attesting witness; provided, however, that in the case of an absent elector who is temporarily or permanently physically disabled, the attesting witness may be any person eighteen (18) years of age or older and such person is not required to have the authority to administer an oath. If a postmaster, assistant postmaster, postal supervisor, or clerk in charge of a contract postal station acts as an attesting witness, his or her signature in a box on the elector's certificate must be authenticated by the cancellation stamp of their respective post offices. If an officer having authority to administer an oath or take an acknowledgment acts as attesting witness, his or her signature in a box on the elector's certificate, together with his or her title and address, but no seal, shall be required. A portion of the elector's signature extending outside of the box shall not be grounds for rejecting that elector's ballot. Any affidavits made by an absent elector who is in the Armed Forces may be executed before a commissioned officer, warrant officer, or noncommissioned officer not lower in grade than sergeant rating or any person authorized to administer oaths.

(d) When the application accompanies the ballot it shall not be returned in the same envelope as the ballot but shall be returned in a separate pre-addressed envelope provided by the registrar.

(e) A candidate for public office, or the spouse, parent or child of a candidate for public office, may not be an attesting witness for any absentee ballot upon which the candidate's name appears, unless the voter is related within the first degree to the candidate or the spouse, parent or child of the candidate.

(f) Any voter casting an absentee ballot who declares that he or she requires assistance to vote by reason of blindness, temporary or permanent physical disability or inability to read or write, shall be entitled to receive assistance in the marking of his or her absentee ballot and in completing the affidavit on the absentee ballot envelope. The voter may be given assistance by anyone of the voter's choice other than a candidate whose name appears on the absentee ballot being marked, the spouse, parent or child of a candidate whose name appears on the absentee ballot being marked or the voter's employer, an agent of that employer or a union representative; however, a candidate whose name is on the ballot or the spouse, parent or child of such candidate may provide assistance upon request to any voter who is related within the first degree. In order to ensure the integrity of the ballot, any person who provides assistance to an absentee voter shall be required to sign and complete the “Certificate of Person Providing Voter Assistance” on the absentee ballot envelope.

(2) The foregoing instructions required to be provided by the registrar to the elector shall also constitute the substantive law pertaining to the handling of absentee ballots by the elector and registrar.

(3) The Secretary of State shall prepare instructions on how absent voters may comply with the identification requirements of Section 23-15-563 .
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-333 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-333
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-333
Status: in_force

(1) The county executive committee shall have printed all necessary ballots, for use in primary elections. The county executive committee shall have printed all necessary absentee ballots forty-five (45) days before the election as required by law. The ballots shall contain the names of all the candidates to be voted for at the election, and there shall be left on each ballot one (1) blank space under the title of each office for which a nominee is to be elected; and in the event of the death of any candidate whose name shall have been printed on the ballot, the name of the candidate duly substituted in the place of the deceased candidate may be written in such blank space by the voter. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2) of this section, the order in which the titles to the various offices shall be printed, and the size, print and quality of the paper of the ballot is left to the discretion of the county executive committee. Provided, however, that in all cases the arrangement of the names of the candidates for each office shall be alphabetical. No ballot shall be used except those so printed.

(2) The titles for the various offices shall be listed in the following order:

(a) Candidates, electors or delegates for the following national offices:

(i) President of the United States of America;

(ii) United States Senator or United States Representative;

(b) Candidates for the following statewide offices: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Auditor of Public Accounts, Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, Commissioner of Insurance;

(c) Candidates for the following state district offices: Mississippi Transportation Commissioner, Public Service Commissioner, District Attorney;

(d) Candidates for the following legislative offices: Senator and House of Representatives;

(e) Candidates for countywide office;

(f) Candidates for county district office.

The order in which the titles for the various offices are listed within each of the categories listed in paragraphs (e) and (f) are left to the discretion of the county executive committee. Candidates' names shall be listed alphabetically under each office by the candidate's last name.

(3) If after the deadline to qualify as a candidate for an office, only one (1) person has duly qualified to be a candidate for the office in the primary election, the name of that person shall be placed on the ballot; provided, however, that if not more than one (1) person has duly qualified to be a candidate for each office on the primary election ballot, the election for all offices on the ballot shall be dispensed with and the appropriate executive committee shall declare each candidate as the party nominee if the candidate meets all the qualifications to hold the office.

(4)(a) If it is eligible under Section 23-15-266 , the county executive committee may enter into a written agreement with the circuit clerk or the county election commission authorizing the circuit clerk or the county election commission to perform any of the duties required of the county executive committee pursuant to this section. Any agreement entered into pursuant to this subsection shall be signed by the chair of the county executive committee and the circuit clerk or the chair of the county election commission, as appropriate. The county executive committee shall notify the state executive committee and the Secretary of State of the existence of such agreement.

(b) If it is eligible under Section 23-15-266 , the municipal executive committee may enter into a written agreement with the municipal clerk or the municipal election commission authorizing the municipal clerk or the municipal election commission to perform any of the duties required of the municipal executive committee pursuant to this section. Any agreement entered into pursuant to this subsection shall be signed by the chair of the municipal executive committee and the municipal clerk or the chair of the municipal election commission, as appropriate. The municipal executive committee shall notify the state executive committee and the Secretary of State of the existence of such agreement.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-33 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-33
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-33
Status: in_force

For a measure designated by him as “Alternative Measure No. __________A,” the Secretary of State shall obtain from the Attorney General a ballot title in the manner provided by Section 23-17-9 . The ballot title therefor shall be different from the ballot title of the measure in lieu of which it is proposed, and shall indicate, as clearly as possible, the essential differences in the measure.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-853 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-853
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-853
Status: in_force

(1) If a vacancy occurs in the representation in Congress, the vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term by a special election, to be ordered by the Governor, within sixty (60) days after the vacancy occurs, and held at a time fixed by his or her order, and which time shall be not less than sixty (60) days after the issuance of the order of the Governor, which shall be directed to the election commissioners of the several counties of the district, who shall, immediately on the receipt of the order, give notice of the election by publishing the same in a newspaper having a general circulation in the county and by posting the notice at the front door of the courthouse. The order shall also be directed to the State Board of Election Commissioners. The election shall be prepared for and conducted, and returns shall be made, in all respects as provided for a special election to fill vacancies.

(2) Candidates for the office in such an election must qualify with the Secretary of State by 5:00 p.m. not less than fifty (50) days before the date of the election. If the fiftieth day to qualify before an election falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, the qualification submitted on the business day immediately following the Sunday or legal holiday shall be accepted. The election commissioners shall have printed on the ballot in such special election the name of any candidate who shall have been requested to be a candidate for the office by a petition filed with the Secretary of State and personally signed by not less than one thousand (1,000) qualified electors of the district. The petition shall be filed by 5:00 p.m. not less than fifty (50) days before the date of the election. If the fiftieth day to file the petition before an election falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, the petition filed on the business day immediately following the Sunday or legal holiday shall be accepted.

There shall be attached to each petition above provided for, upon the time of filing with the Secretary of State, a certificate from the appropriate registrar or registrars showing the number of qualified electors appearing upon each petition which the registrar shall furnish to the petitioner upon request.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-717 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-717
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-717
Status: in_force

Any elector enumerated in Section 23-15-713 applying for an absentee ballot shall complete an application form as provided in Section 23-15-627 , and said elector shall fill in the application as is appropriate for his particular situation.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-241 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-241
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-241
Status: in_force

The poll manager designated an election bailiff shall, in addition to his or her other duties, be present during the election to keep the peace and to protect the voting place, and to prevent improper intrusion upon the voting place or interference with the election, and to arrest all persons creating any disturbance about the voting place, and to enable all qualified electors who have not voted, and who desire to vote, to have unobstructed access to the polls for the purpose of voting when others are not voting.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-91 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-91
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-91
Status: in_force

The county registrar, while acting within his jurisdiction and under the authority of this chapter, shall not be liable personally for any error of judgment regarding the registration of electors.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-561 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-561
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-561
Status: in_force

(1) It shall be unlawful during any primary or any other election for any candidate for any elective office or any representative of such candidate or any other person to publicly or privately put up or in any way offer any prize, cash award or other item of value to be raffled, drawn for, played for or contested for in order to encourage persons to vote or to refrain from voting in any election.

(2) Any person who shall violate the provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine in an amount not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00).

(3) Any candidate who shall violate the provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall, upon conviction thereof, in addition to the fine prescribed above, be punished by:

(a) Disqualification as a candidate in the race for the elective office; or

(b) Removal from the elective office, if the offender has been elected thereto.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-8 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-8
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-8
Status: in_force

When an amendment to the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 is proposed to the qualified electors of the state under the voter initiative procedure set forth in Section 23-17-1, et seq. , the Secretary of State, with the approval of the Attorney General, may make a nonsubstantive clerical or technical correction in the section number reference or designation of the proposed amendment contained in an initiative measure, as may be appropriate or necessary in order to prevent the use of an existing section number or the possibility of the initiative being declared invalid only because of an error in the section number designation. Such a correction may be made at any time after the Attorney General's certificate of review with regard to the initiative measure has been issued, and before the ballot for the initiative measure is printed. The provisions of this section do not authorize the Secretary of State to make any change other than a nonsubstantive correction in the section number reference or designation of the proposed amendment contained in the initiative measure.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-19 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-19
Status: in_force

The Secretary of State shall design the form each sheet of which shall contain the following:

“WARNING

EVERY PERSON WHO SIGNS THIS PETITION WITH ANY OTHER THAN HIS OR HER TRUE NAME, KNOWINGLY SIGNS MORE THAN ONE OF THESE PETITIONS RELATING TO THE SAME INITIATIVE MEASURE, SIGNS THIS PETITION WHEN HE OR SHE IS NOT A QUALIFIED ELECTOR OR MAKES ANY FALSE STATEMENT ON THIS PETITION MAY BE PUNISHED BY FINE, IMPRISONMENT, OR BOTH.

PETITION FOR INITIATIVE MEASURE

To the Honorable __________, Secretary of State of the State of Mississippi:

We, the undersigned citizens and qualified electors of the State of Mississippi, respectfully direct that this petition and the proposed measure known as Initiative Measure No.__________, entitled (here insert the established ballot title of the measure), a full, true and correct copy of which is printed or attached on the reverse side of this petition, be transmitted to the Legislature of the State of Mississippi at its next ensuing regular session, and we respectfully petition the Legislature to adopt the proposed measure; and each of us for himself or herself says: I have personally signed this petition, I am a qualified elector of the State of Mississippi in the city (or town), county and congressional district written after my name, my residence address is correctly stated and I have knowingly signed this petition only once.”

Each sheet shall also provide adequate space for the following information: Petitioner's signature; print name for positive identification; residence address, street and number, if any; city or town; county; precinct; and congressional district.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-603 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-603
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-603
Status: in_force

(1) The election commissioners shall, within ten (10) days after the general election and within ten (10) days after a runoff election, if one is required, transmit to the Secretary of State, to be filed in his or her office, a statement of the whole number of votes given in their county and the whole number of votes given in each precinct in their county, for each candidate for any office at the election; but the returns of every election for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Auditor of Public Accounts, State Treasurer, Commissioner of Insurance and other state officers, shall each be made out separately, sealed up together and transmitted to the seat of government, directed to the Secretary of State, and endorsed the “VOTE FOR STATE OFFICERS.” In addition to the other information required pursuant to this subsection, the returns for state officers shall contain a statement of the whole number of votes given in each House of Representative district or portion thereof for each candidate for state office at the election.

(2) Constitutional amendments shall be voted for at the time fixed by the concurrent resolution. The election, whether held separately or with other elections, shall be conducted, in all respects, as required for elections generally. The election commissioners shall, within ten (10) days after the election, transmit to the Secretary of State a statement of the whole number of votes given in their county and the whole number of votes given in each precinct in their county for or against constitutional amendments.

(3) The statements certified by the election commissioners and transmitted to the Secretary of State, as required by this section, shall be tabulated by the Secretary of State. Certified county vote totals shall represent the final results of the election.

(4) The statements required by this section shall contain a certification, signed and dated by a majority of the election commissioners, which shall read as follows:

“We, the undersigned election commissioners, do hereby certify that this statement of the whole number of votes contains the official vote for the election reflected therein.”

(5) The statements required by this section shall be transmitted to the Secretary of State on such forms and by such methods as may be required by rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary of State.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-819 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-819
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-819
Status: in_force

(1) It shall be unlawful for a foreign national, directly or through any other person, to make any contribution or any expenditure of money or other thing of value, or to promise expressly or impliedly to make any such contribution or expenditure, in connection with an election to any political office or in connection with any primary election, convention or caucus held to select candidates for any political office.

(2) No person shall solicit, accept or receive any such contribution from a foreign national.

(3) The term “ foreign national ” means:

(a) A foreign national as defined in 22 USCS 611(b) , except that the terms “foreign national” does not include any individual who is a citizen of the United States; or

(b) An individual who is not a citizen of the United States and who is not lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-375 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-375
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-375
Status: in_force

Local issue elections may be held on the same date as any regular or general election. A local issue election held on the same date as the regular or general election shall be conducted in the same manner as the regular or general election using the same poll workers and the same equipment. A local issue may be placed on the regular or general election ballot pursuant to the provisions of Section 23-15-359 . The provisions of this section and Section 23-15-359 with regard to local issue elections shall not be construed to affect any statutory requirements specifying the notice procedure and the necessary percentage of qualified electors voting in such an election which is needed for adoption of the local issue. Whether or not a local issue is adopted or defeated at a local issue election held on the same day as a regular or general election shall be determined in accordance with relevant statutory requirements regarding the necessary percentage of qualified electors who voted in the local issue election, and only those persons voting for or against the issue shall be counted in making that determination. As used in this section “local issue elections” include elections regarding the issuance of bonds, local option elections, elections regarding the levy of additional ad valorem taxes and other similar elections authorized by law that are called to consider issues that affect a single local governmental entity. As used in this section “ local issue ” means any issue that may be voted on in a local issue election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-173 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-173
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-173
Status: in_force

(1) A general municipal election shall be held in each city, town or village on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of June 1985, and every four (4) years thereafter, for the election of all municipal officers elected by the people.

(2) All municipal general elections shall be held and conducted in the same manner as is provided by law for state and county general elections.

(3) The provisions of Sections 23-15-171 and 23-15-173 , which fix the times to hold primary and general elections, shall not apply to any municipality operating under a special or private charter where the governing board or authority thereof, on or before June 25, 1952, shall have adopted and spread upon its minutes a resolution or ordinance declining to accept the provisions, in which event the primary and general elections shall be held at the time fixed by the charter of the municipality.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-259 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-259
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-259
Status: in_force

The boards of supervisors of the several counties are authorized to allow compensation of the officers rendering services in matters of registration and elections, to provide ballot boxes, voter rolls as electronically maintained by the Statewide Elections Management System, and all other things required by law in registration and elections. The boards are also authorized, by order spread upon the minutes of the board setting forth the cost and source of funds therefor, to allow such reasonable sum as may be expended in supplying voting compartments, tables or shelves for use at elections.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-711 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-711
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-711
Status: in_force

The title of Sections 23-15-711 through 23-15-721 shall be the Mississippi Absentee Voter Law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-293 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-293
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-293
Status: in_force

Candidates for state, state district and legislative offices shall be voted for and nominated by all the counties or parts of counties within their respective districts, and all the district nominations shall be under the supervision and control of the state executive committee of the respective political parties, which committees shall discharge in respect to such state district nominations all the powers and duties imposed upon them in connection with nominations of candidates for other state officers.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-121 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-121
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-121
Status: in_force

Should the electronic voting record of any county as maintained by the Statewide Elections Management System be lost or destroyed, the board of supervisors may adjudge the fact, and direct a new registration of the voters to be made; and the county registrar, being so directed, shall make a new registration, as herein provided, of the qualified electors of his or her county.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-519 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-519
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-519
Status: in_force

The poll managers shall prepare a ballot accounting report that documents the number of voters who have voted, as indicated by the receipt book and the number of ballots used in the election. The poll managers shall place the report in the ballot box, with the seal logs, receipt books, absentee ballots, affidavit ballots, challenged ballots, curbside ballots, emergency ballots, spoiled ballots and unused ballots, which thereupon shall be sealed with a tamper-evident seal, which is a seal that has been designed in such a way to allow someone to easily detect any tampering, so that no additional ballots may be deposited or removed from the ballot box. The poll managers, while they have possession of the election materials, and the officials in charge of the election, once the poll managers have delivered the ballot box to the counting center or other designated place, shall be required to keep a seal log to document each time a tamper-evident seal for a ballot box is opened or changed. The seal log shall require the name of the person who opened the seal, the old seal number, the new seal number, the date the seal was opened and the purpose for opening the seal. The receiving and returning poll manager shall deliver the ballot box to the counting center or other designated place and receive a signed, numbered receipt therefor. The poll books and other records and supplies shall be returned as directed by the officials in charge of the election. Failure to strictly comply with the provisions of this section shall not result in a presumption of fraud.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-553 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-553
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-553
Status: in_force

A person shall not take or remove any ballot from the polling place before the close of the polls. If any voter spoils a ballot he or she may obtain others, one (1) at a time, not exceeding three (3) in all, upon returning each spoiled ballot. The word “SPOILED” shall be written across the face of the ballot and each ballot shall be deposited into the sealed ballot box. When the polls have closed upon the casting of the last ballot or 7:00 p.m., whichever is later, and the poll managers break the seal on the ballot box to begin closing procedures, those ballots marked as “SPOILED” shall be bundled together and placed in a separate strong envelope provided for spoiled ballots. The envelope containing all spoiled ballots shall be sealed in the ballot box once the poll managers have completed the closing procedures and returned the materials to the officials in charge of the election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-271 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-271
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-271
Status: in_force

(1) The state executive committee of any political party authorized to conduct political party primaries shall form an election integrity assurance committee for each congressional district. The state executive committee shall appoint three (3) of its members to each congressional district election integrity assurance committee. The members so appointed shall be residents of the congressional district for which the election integrity assurance committee is formed. The state executive committee shall name a chair and a secretary from among the members of each committee. The state executive committee shall provide to each circuit and municipal clerk a list of the members of the congressional district integrity assurance committee for the congressional district in which the county or municipality of the clerk is located.

(2) If within sixty (60) days of an election, a county executive committee or a municipal executive committee fails to attend training or perform in a timely manner any of the duties specified in Sections 23-15-239 , 23-15-265 , 23-15-267 , 23-15-333 , 23-15-335 and 23-15-597 and there is no written agreement in place between the county or municipal executive committee and the county or municipal election commission or the circuit or municipal clerk pursuant to such sections, or there is such an agreement in place and it is not being executed, the circuit or municipal clerk shall notify the chair and secretary of the congressional district election integrity assurance committee or the chair of the state executive committee of such failure and call upon them to take immediate and appropriate action to ensure that such duties are performed in order to secure the orderly conduct of the primary. Upon receiving the notice, the election integrity assurance committee shall be responsible for conducting any required training and shall be authorized to contract on behalf of the county or municipal executive committee with the county or municipal election commission or the circuit or municipal clerk for the conduct of the primary election.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the state executive committee or a congressional district election assurance committee to conduct primaries.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-13 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-13
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-13
Status: in_force

(1) An elector who moves from one (1) ward or voting precinct to another ward within the same municipality or voting precinct within the same county shall not be disqualified to vote, but he or she shall be entitled to have his or her registration transferred to his or her new ward or voting precinct upon making written request therefor at any time up to thirty (30) days before the election at which he or she offers to vote, and if the removal occurs within thirty (30) days of such election he or she shall be entitled to vote in his or her new ward or voting precinct by affidavit ballot as provided in Section 23-15-573 . If the thirtieth day to transfer the elector's registration before an election falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, the transfer of the elector's registration submitted on the business day immediately following the Sunday or legal holiday shall be accepted and entered into the Statewide Elections Management System for the purpose of enabling voters to vote in the next election.

(2) If an elector requests a change in his or her address under Section 23-15-49 and the address is located in a precinct in the county or municipality that differs from the precinct as reflected in the then current registration records, the request shall be treated in the same manner as a written request to transfer the elector's registration under subsection (1) of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-839 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-839
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-839
Status: in_force

(1) When a vacancy occurs in any county or county district office, the same shall be filled by appointment by the board of supervisors of the county, by order entered upon its minutes, where the vacancy occurs, or by appointment of the president of the board of supervisors, by and with the consent of the majority of the board of supervisors, if such vacancy occurs when the board is not in session, and the clerk of the board shall certify to the Secretary of State the appointment, and the appointed person shall be commissioned by the Governor; and if the unexpired term be longer than six (6) months, such appointee shall serve until a successor is elected as hereinafter provided, unless the regular special election day on which the vacancy should be filled occurs in a year in which an election would normally be held for that office as provided by law, in which case the person so appointed shall serve the unexpired portion of the term. Such vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term by the qualified electors at the next regular special election day occurring more than ninety (90) days after the vacancy occurs. The board of supervisors of the county shall, within ten (10) days after the vacancy occurs, make an order, in writing, directed to the election commissioners, commanding an election to be held on the next regular special election day to fill the vacancy. The election commissioners shall require each candidate to qualify at least sixty (60) days before the date of the election, and shall give a certificate of election to the person elected, and shall return to the Secretary of State a copy of the order of holding the election, showing the election results, certified by the clerk of the board of supervisors. The person elected shall be commissioned by the Governor to take office once the election is certified.

(2) In any election ordered pursuant to this section where only one (1) person qualifies with the election commissioners to be a candidate within the time provided by law, the election commissioners shall certify to the board of supervisors that there is only one (1) candidate. Thereupon, the board of supervisors shall dispense with the election and appoint the certified candidate to fill the unexpired term. The clerk of the board shall certify the appointed candidate to the Secretary of State and the candidate shall be commissioned by the Governor. In the event no person qualifies by 5:00 p.m. sixty (60) days before the date of the election, the election commissioners shall certify that fact to the board of supervisors who shall dispense with the election and fill the vacancy by appointment. The clerk of the board of supervisors shall certify the appointment to the Secretary of State, and the appointed person shall be commissioned by the Governor.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-49 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-49
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-49
Status: in_force

(1)(a) The Secretary of State shall, with the support of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, establish a secure Internet website to permit registered electors to change their name, address or other information set forth in the elector's existing voter registration record.

(b) Upon the request of an elector through the secure website, the software used by the Secretary of State for processing applications through the website shall provide for verification that:

(i) The elector has a current and valid Mississippi driver's license or photo identification card issued by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and the number for that driver's license or photo identification card provided by the applicant matches the number for the elector's driver's license or photo identification card that is on file with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety;

(ii) The name and date of birth provided by the voter matches the name and date of birth that is on file with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety; and

(iii) The information provided by the elector matches the information on file with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

If any of the information does not match that on file with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the changes shall be rejected.

(2) Any person who attempts to change registration information under this section shall be subject to the penalties for false registration provided for in Section 97-13-25 .

(3) The Secretary of State and the Department of Public Safety shall enter into a memorandum of understanding providing for the sharing of information required to facilitate the requirements of this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-296 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-296
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-296
Status: in_force

All political parties registered with the Secretary of State shall notify the Secretary of State in writing within two (2) working days of each qualifying deadline of the name, mailing address and office sought of all candidates for statewide, state district and legislative office who have submitted qualifying papers to the political party on or before the qualifying deadline, and all political parties shall notify the Secretary of State of any such candidate who withdraws his candidacy within two (2) working days of receiving written notice of the withdrawal.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-563 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-563
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-563
Status: in_force

(1) Each person who appears to vote in person at a polling place or the registrar's office shall be required to identify himself or herself to a poll manager or the registrar by presenting current and valid photo identification before such person shall be allowed to vote.

(2) The identification required by subsection (1) of this section shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(a) A valid Mississippi driver's license;

(b) A valid identification card issued by a branch, department, agency or entity of the State of Mississippi;

(c) A valid United States passport;

(d) A valid employee identification card containing a photograph of the elector and issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the United States government, the State of Mississippi, or any county, municipality, board, authority or other entity of this state;

(e) A current and valid Mississippi license to carry a pistol or revolver;

(f) A valid tribal identification card containing a photograph of the elector;

(g) A valid United States military identification card;

(h) A current and valid student identification card, containing a photograph of the elector, issued by any accredited college, university or community or junior college in the State of Mississippi; and

(i) An official Mississippi voter identification card containing a photograph of the elector.

(3) For purposes of this section valid shall mean an official government document that establishes the voter's identity and has no expiration date or has an issuance date not more than ten (10) years prior to the date the document is presented.

(4)(a) A person who appears to vote in person at a polling place and does not have identification as required by this section may vote by affidavit ballot. The affidavit ballot shall then be counted if the person shall present acceptable photo identification to the registrar within five (5) days.

(b) An elector who has a religious objection to being photographed may vote by affidavit ballot, and the elector, within five (5) days after the election, shall execute an affidavit in the registrar's office affirming that the exemption applies.

(5) The intentional failure of an election official to require a voter to present identification as required by this section shall be considered corrupt conduct under Section 97-13-19 and shall be reported to the Secretary of State and the Attorney General.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-125 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-125
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-125
Status: in_force

The pollbook of each voting precinct shall designate the voting precinct for which it is to be used, and shall be ruled in appropriate columns, with printed or written headings, as follows: date of registration; voter registration number; name of electors; date of birth; and a number of blank columns for the dates of elections. All qualified applicants who register with the registrar shall be entered in the Statewide Elections Management System. Only the names of those qualified applicants who register within thirty (30) days before an election shall appear on the pollbooks of the election; however, if the thirtieth day to register before an election falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, the registration applications submitted on the business day immediately following the legal holiday shall be accepted and entered in the Statewide Elections Management System for the purpose of enabling voters to vote in the next election. When county election commissioners determine that any elector is disqualified from voting, by reason of death, conviction of a disenfranchising crime, removal from the jurisdiction, failure to comply with the provisions of Section 23-15-152 , or other legal cause, that fact shall be noted in the Statewide Elections Management System and the voter's name shall be purged from the Statewide Elections Management System, the state's voter roll and the county's pollbooks. Nothing in this section shall preclude the use of electronic pollbooks.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-575 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-575
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-575
Status: in_force

No person shall vote or attempt to vote in the primary election of one (1) party when he or she has voted on the same date in the primary election of another party. No person shall vote or attempt to vote in the second primary election of one (1) party when he or she has voted in the first primary election of another party.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-887 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-887
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-887
Status: in_force

If any member of the Mississippi Transportation Commission, and any member of the board of supervisors, or the mayor or any member of the board of aldermen or other governing authority of any municipality, shall violate the provisions of this article, he or she shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-371 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-371
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-371
Status: in_force

In case the official ballots prepared shall be lost or destroyed, the election commissioners shall have like ballots furnished in place of those lost or destroyed, if time remain therefor. If from any cause there should be no official ballots or an insufficient number at a voting place, and not sufficient time in which to have them printed, the ballots may be written; but, if written by anyone except the voter alone for himself or herself, the names of all candidates shall be written thereon, without any mark or device by which one (1) name may be distinguished from another, and the ballots shall be marked by the voter as provided for printed ballots. If the poll manager designated fails to have the ballots at the voting place at the proper time, or if he or she fails to distribute them, the poll managers, or those of them present at the election, shall provide ballots, and select some suitable person to distribute them, who shall take the oath required of the poll managers, and distribute the ballots according to law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-313 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-313
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-313
Status: in_force

(1) If there be any political party, or parties, in any municipality which shall not have a party executive committee for such municipality, such political party, or parties, shall within thirty (30) days of the date for which a candidate for a municipal office is required to qualify in that municipality select qualified electors of that municipality and of that party's political faith to serve on a temporary municipal executive committee until members of a municipal executive committee are elected at the next regular election for executive committees. The temporary municipal executive committee shall be selected in the following manner: The chairman of the county executive committee of the party desiring to select a temporary municipal executive committee shall call, upon petition of five (5) or more members of that political faith, a mass meeting of the qualified electors of their political faith who reside in such municipality to meet at some convenient place within such municipality, at a time to be designated in the call, and at such mass convention the members of that political faith shall select a temporary municipal executive committee which shall serve until members of a municipal executive committee are elected at the next regular election for executive committees. The public shall be given notice of such mass meeting as provided in Section 23-15-315 . The chairman of the county executive committee shall authorize the call within five (5) calendar days of receipt of the petition. If the chairman of the county executive committee is either incapacitated, unavailable or nonresponsive and does not authorize the mass call within five (5) calendar days of receipt of the petition, any elected officer of the county executive committee may authorize the call within five (5) calendar days. If no elected officer of the county executive committee acts to approve such petition after an additional five (5) calendar days from the date, the chair of the county executive committee not taking action as provided by this section, the petitioners shall be authorized to produce the call themselves.

(2) If no municipal executive committee is selected or otherwise formed before an election, the county executive committee may serve as the temporary municipal executive committee and exercise all of the duties of the municipal executive committee for the municipal election. After a county executive committee has fulfilled its duties as the temporary municipal executive committee, as soon as practicable thereafter, the county executive committee shall select a municipal executive committee no later than before the next municipal election.

(3) A person who has been convicted of a felony in a court of this state or any other state or a court of the United States, shall be barred from serving as a member of a municipal executive committee.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-653 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-653
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-653
Status: in_force

All registrars' offices shall remain open until noon on the two (2) Saturdays prior to each election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-517 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-517
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-517
Status: in_force

At least one (1) hour before the opening of the polls, the officials in charge of the election shall arrive at the polling place and set up the voting booths so that they will be in clear view of the poll managers; the poll managers shall examine the ballots to verify that they have the correct ballots for their precinct and check the supplies, records and forms, and post the sample ballots and instructions to the voters. They shall also inspect the ballot boxes to ensure they contain only voted absentee ballots in their envelopes with the required applications, and then seal the box for voting.

Each voter shall receive written and/or verbal instructions by the poll managers instructing the voter how to properly vote the paper ballot before the voter enters the voting booth. If any voter needs additional instructions after entering the voting booth, two (2) poll managers may, if necessary, enter the booth and give him or her such additional instructions. If any voter spoils a ballot the voter may obtain others, one (1) at a time, not exceeding three (3) in all, upon returning each spoiled ballot. The word “SPOILED” shall be written across the face of the ballot and it shall be deposited into the sealed ballot box. When the polls close once the last ballot has been cast or at 7:00 p.m., whichever is later, the poll managers shall break the seal on the ballot box to process the absentee ballots. Ballots marked as spoiled shall be bundled together and placed in an envelope designated for spoiled ballots. Once the polls have officially closed, the envelope that contains the spoiled ballots and the unused ballots shall be placed in the ballot box or other container provided for that purpose which shall be sealed and returned to the officials in charge of the election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-219 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-219
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-219
Status: in_force

(1) The board of election commissioners is hereby authorized and empowered to employ and set or determine the duties of and determine the compensation of such investigators, legal counsel, secretaries, technical advisors and any other employees or persons who or which the board or a majority thereof may deem necessary to enable them to discharge the duties and obligations presently or hereafter vested in them. However, before employing such persons or setting or determining the compensation, the election commissioners must first have the approval of the board of supervisors of the county.

(2) The board of supervisors of the county is authorized and empowered to pay out of the general fund of the county the salaries and necessary traveling and subsistence expenses of the employees of the board of election commissioners in such amounts as may be mutually agreed upon by the board of supervisors and board of election commissioners, but which shall be computed on the same basis allowed to state employees when traveling on state business. All expense accounts of the employees of the board of election commissioners shall be approved by the board of election commissioners and the board of supervisors or, in the discretion of each of the boards, by one (1) of the members of each of the boards duly authorized by the respective boards to approve or disapprove the subsistence, traveling and mileage expense accounts.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a person who holds the office of election commissioner from being employed and receiving compensation pursuant to this section. Any compensation which such a person may receive from his or her employment pursuant to this section shall be in addition to any compensation that person may receive in performing his or her duties as an election commissioner.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-193 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-193
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-193
Status: in_force

(1) At the election in 2023, and every four (4) years thereafter, there shall be elected a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor of Public Accounts, State Treasurer, Attorney General, three (3) public service commissioners, three (3) Mississippi Transportation Commissioners, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, Senators and members of the House of Representatives in the Legislature, district attorneys for the several districts, clerks of the circuit and chancery courts of the several counties, as well as sheriffs, coroners, assessors, surveyors and members of the boards of supervisors, justice court judges and constables, and all other officers to be elected by the people at the general state election. All such officers shall hold their offices for a term of four (4) years, and until their successors are elected and qualified. The state officers shall be elected in the manner prescribed in Section 140 of the Constitution .

(2) The state officers that receive a majority of votes cast for the office at the general election shall be elected. If no candidate receives a majority number of votes cast at the election, then the two (2) candidates who receive the highest number of votes cast shall have their names placed on the ballot for the runoff election to be held four (4) weeks later. The candidate who receives a majority of the votes cast in the runoff election shall be elected. However, if no candidate receives a majority vote cast at the election, and there is a tie in the election of those receiving the next highest vote, then those candidates receiving the next highest vote and the candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast shall have their names placed on the ballot for the runoff election to be held four (4) weeks later, and whoever receives the majority of votes cast in the runoff election shall be elected. If it appears that two (2) or more candidates for state office have an equal number of votes after the runoff election, the interested candidates shall appear before the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court within two (2) days after the canvass and the tie shall be determined by a toss of a coin or by lot fairly and publicly drawn, and a certificate of election shall be given accordingly.

(3) The provisions of Section 23-15-981 shall control the run-off elections of justice court judges.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-692 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-692
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-692
Status: in_force

(1) An absent voter who resides outside the United States, who is a member of the United States Armed Forces or who is a family member of a member of the Armed Forces, and who is a registered voter of the State of Mississippi, may use the Federal Write-In-Absentee Ballot as provided for by 42 USCS 1973ff-2 in general, special, primary and runoff elections for local, state and federal offices.

(2) Upon receipt of a Federal Write-In-Absentee Ballot executed by a person who is a registered voter or whose information on the form is sufficient to register or update the registration of that person, the Federal Write-In-Absentee Ballot shall be considered as an absentee ballot request. Nothing in this subsection shall suspend the voter registration deadlines otherwise provided by law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-807 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-807
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-807
Status: in_force

(a) Each candidate or political committee shall file reports of contributions and disbursements in accordance with the provisions of this section. All candidates or political committees required to report such contributions and disbursements may terminate the obligation to report only upon submitting a final report that contributions will no longer be received or disbursements made and that the candidate or committee has no outstanding debts or obligations. The candidate, treasurer or chief executive officer shall sign the report.

(b) Candidates seeking election, or nomination for election, and political committees making expenditures to influence or attempt to influence voters for or against the nomination for election of one or more candidates or balloted measures at such election, shall file the following reports:

(i) In any calendar year during which there is a regularly scheduled election, a pre-election report shall be filed no later than the seventh day before any election in which the candidate or political committee has accepted contributions or made expenditures and shall be completed as of the tenth day before the election;

(ii) In 1987 and every fourth year thereafter, periodic reports shall be filed no later than the tenth day after April 30, May 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31, and shall be completed as of the last day of each period;

(iii) In any calendar years except 1987 and except every fourth year thereafter, a report covering the calendar year shall be filed no later than January 31 of the following calendar year; and

(iv) Except as otherwise provided in the requirements of paragraph (i) of this subsection (b), unopposed candidates are not required to file pre-election reports but must file all other reports required by paragraphs (ii) and (iii) of this subsection (b).

(c) All candidates for judicial office as defined in Section 23-15-975 , or their political committees, shall file periodic reports in the year in which they are to be elected no later than the tenth day after April 30, May 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31. Candidates for judicial office shall not be required to file an annual report during an election year, but shall file an annual report in all other years.

(d) Each report under this article shall disclose:

(i) For the reporting period and the calendar year, the total amount of all contributions and the total amount of all expenditures of the candidate or reporting committee, including those required to be identified pursuant to paragraph (ii) of this subsection (d) as well as the total of all other contributions and expenditures during the calendar year. The reports shall be cumulative during the calendar year to which they relate;

(ii) The identification of:

1. Each person or political committee who makes a contribution to the reporting candidate or political committee during the reporting period, whose contribution or contributions within the calendar year have an aggregate amount or value in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) together with the date and amount of any such contribution;

2. Each person or organization, candidate or political committee who receives an expenditure, payment or other transfer from the reporting candidate, political committee or its agent, employee, designee, contractor, consultant or other person or persons acting in its behalf during the reporting period when the expenditure, payment or other transfer to the person, organization, candidate or political committee within the calendar year have an aggregate value or amount in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) together with the date and amount of the expenditure;

(iii) The total amount of cash on hand of each reporting candidate and reporting political committee;

(iv) In addition to the contents of reports specified in paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) of this subsection (d), each political party shall disclose:

1. Each person or political committee who makes a contribution to a political party during the reporting period and whose contribution or contributions to a political party within the calendar year have an aggregate amount or value in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00), together with the date and amount of the contribution;

2. Each person or organization who receives an expenditure or expenditures by a political party during the reporting period when the expenditure or expenditures to the person or organization within the calendar year have an aggregate value or amount in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00), together with the date and amount of the expenditure;

(v) Disclosure required under this section of an expenditure to a credit card issuer, financial institution or business allowing payments and money transfers to be made over the Internet must include, by way of detail or separate entry, the amount of funds passing to each person, business entity or organization receiving funds from the expenditure.

(e) The appropriate office specified in Section 23-15-805 must be in actual receipt of the reports specified in this article by 5:00 p.m. on the dates specified in subsection (b) of this section. If the date specified in subsection (b) of this section shall fall on a weekend or legal holiday then the report shall be due in the appropriate office at 5:00 p.m. on the first working day before the date specified in subsection (b) of this section. The reporting candidate or reporting political committee shall ensure that the reports are delivered to the appropriate office by the filing deadline. The Secretary of State may approve specific means of electronic transmission of completed campaign finance disclosure reports, which may include, but not be limited to, transmission by electronic facsimile (FAX) devices.

(f)(i) If any contribution of more than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) is received by a candidate or candidate's political committee after the tenth day, but more than forty-eight (48) hours before 12:01 a.m. of the day of the election, the candidate or political committee shall notify the appropriate office designated in Section 23-15-805 , within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt of the contribution. The notification shall include:

1. The name of the receiving candidate;

2. The name of the receiving candidate's political committee, if any;

3. The office sought by the candidate;

4. The identification of the contributor;

5. The date of receipt;

6. The amount of the contribution;

7. If the contribution is in-kind, a description of the in-kind contribution; and

8. The signature of the candidate or the treasurer or chair of the candidate's political organization.

(ii) The notification shall be in writing, and may be transmitted by overnight mail, courier service, or other reliable means, including electronic facsimile (FAX), but the candidate or candidate's committee shall ensure that the notification shall in fact be received in the appropriate office designated in Section 23-15-805 within forty-eight (48) hours of the contribution.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-571 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-571
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-571
Status: in_force

(1) The following persons shall be designated as authorized challengers and shall be allowed to challenge the qualifications of any person offering to vote:

(a) Any candidate whose name is on the ballot in the precinct in which the challenge is made;

(b) Any official poll watcher of a candidate whose name is on the ballot in the precinct in which the challenge is made;

(c) Any official poll watcher of a political party for the precinct in which the challenge is made;

(d) Any qualified elector from the precinct in which the challenge is made; or

(e) Any poll manager or poll worker in the polling place where the person whose qualifications are challenged is offering to vote.

(2) The challenge of any authorized challenger shall be considered and acted upon by the poll managers of the election.

(3) A person offering to vote may be challenged upon the following grounds:

(a) That the voter is not a registered voter in the precinct;

(b) That the voter is not the registered voter under whose name the voter has applied to vote;

(c) That the voter has already voted in the election;

(d) That the voter is not a resident in the precinct where the voter is registered;

(e) That the voter has illegally registered to vote;

(f) That the voter has removed his or her ballot from the polling place; or

(g) That the voter is otherwise disqualified by law.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-317 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-317
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-317
Status: in_force

If any person nominated for office in a primary election shall die, be removed after his or her nomination or withdraw or resign from his or her candidacy for a legitimate nonpolitical reason as defined in this section, and the vacancy in nomination shall occur between the primary election and the ensuing general election, then the municipal, county or state executive committee with which the original nominee qualified as a candidate in the primary election shall nominate a nominee for such office. Where such a party nominee is unopposed each political party registered with the State Board of Election Commissioners shall have the privilege of nominating a candidate for the office involved. Such nominee shall be duly certified by the respective executive committee chair. Within two (2) days after such nomination is made by the appropriate executive committee, such committee shall formally notify the Secretary of State of the name of the nominee. The Secretary of State shall thereupon officially notify the appropriate officials charged with conducting the election for the office wherein the vacancy occurred of the name of the nominee. All nominations made pursuant to the provisions of this section shall have the same force and effect and shall entitle the nominees to all rights and privileges that would accrue to them as if they had been nominated in the regular primary election.

“Legitimate nonpolitical reason” as used in this section shall be limited to the following:

(a) Reasons of health, which shall include any health condition which, in the written opinion of a medical doctor, would be harmful to the health of the candidate if he or she continued.

(b) Family crises, which shall include circumstances which would substantially alter the duties and responsibilities of the candidate to the family or to a family business.

(c) Substantial business conflict, which shall include the policy of an employer prohibiting employees being candidates for public offices and an employment change which would result in the ineligibility of the candidate or which would impair his or her capability to properly carry out the functions of the office being sought.

Any candidate who withdraws based upon a “legitimate nonpolitical reason” which is not covered by the above definition shall have the strict burden of proof for his or her reason.

A candidate who wishes to withdraw for a legitimate nonpolitical reason shall submit his or her reason by sworn affidavit. Such affidavit shall be filed with the state party chair of the nominee's party and the State Board of Election Commissioners. No substitution of candidates shall be authorized, except for death or disqualification, unless the State Board of Election Commissioners approves the affidavit as constituting a “legitimate nonpolitical reason” for the candidate's resignation within five (5) days of the date the affidavit is submitted to the board.

Immediately upon approval or disapproval of such affidavit, the State Board of Election Commissioners shall notify the respective executive committee of same.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-61 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-61
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-61
Status: in_force

Any violation of Sections 23-17-49 through 23-17-59 is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one (1) year, or by a fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-163 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-163
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-163
Status: in_force

The purposes of this subarticle are:

(a) To establish a centralized statewide qualified voter file that consists of all qualified electors who are registered to vote;

(b) To enhance the uniformity of the administration of elections by creating and maintaining a centralized statewide file of qualified voters;

(c) To increase the efficiency and decrease the cost of maintaining voter registration records and implementing the National Voter Registration Act of 1993;

(d) To increase the integrity of the voting process by compiling a single centralized qualified voter file from county voter roll data that will permit the name of each citizen of this state to appear only once;

(e) To apply technology and information gathered by principal executive departments of state government, state agencies and local voter registrars in a manner that ensures that accurate and current records of qualified voters are maintained and to secure cooperation among all state and county entities to develop systems and processes that are interfaced with the Statewide Elections Management System; and

(f) To enable the state to receive federal funds which may be available to carry out provisions of this subarticle.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-545 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-545
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-545
Status: in_force

At each election, at least one (1) poll manager shall be charged with writing in the pollbook the word “VOTED,” in the column having at its head the date of the election, opposite the name of each elector upon return of a marked paper ballot by the elector with the initials of the initialing poll manager or alternate initialing poll manager affixed thereon. When a DRE unit is used in the polling place, the word “VOTED” shall be marked by at least one (1) poll manager in the pollbook in the column having at its head the date of the election, opposite the name of the elector.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-875 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-875
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-875
Status: in_force

No person, including a candidate, shall publicly or privately make, in a campaign then in progress, any charge or charges reflecting upon the honesty, integrity or moral character of any candidate, so far as his or her private life is concerned, unless the charge be in fact true and actually capable of proof; and any person who makes any such charge shall have the burden of proof to show the truth thereof when called to account therefor under any affidavit or indictment against him or her for a violation of this section. Any language deliberately uttered or published which, when fairly and reasonably construed and as commonly understood, would clearly and unmistakably imply any such charge, shall be deemed and held to be the equivalent of a direct charge.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-113 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-113
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-113
Status: in_force

(1) The voter registration files shall contain copies of the applications for registration completed by electors, which applications shall show the date of registration and signature of elector.

(2) All records pertaining to voter registration shall be stored in an electronic format in the Statewide Elections Management System by the county registrar. The scanned applications shall be a legal document of voter registration and shall be retained in the Statewide Elections Management System.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-1 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-1
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-1
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Mississippi Election Code.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-33 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-33
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-33
Status: in_force

(1) Every person entitled to be registered as an elector in compliance with the laws of this state and who has signed his or her name on and properly completed the application for registration to vote shall be registered by the county registrar in the voting precinct of the residence of such person through the Statewide Elections Management System.

(2) Every person entitled to be registered as an elector in compliance with the laws of this state and who registers to vote pursuant to the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 shall be registered by the county registrar in the voting precinct of the residence of such person through the Statewide Elections Management System.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-63 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-63
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-63
Status: in_force

Any elector of the county may likewise appeal from the decision of the county registrar allowing any other person to be registered as a voter; but before the same can be heard, the party appealing shall give notice to the person whose registration is appealed from, in writing, stating the grounds of the appeal. The notice shall be served by the sheriff or a constable, as process in other courts is required to be served; and the officer may demand and receive for such service, from the person requesting the same, the sum of One Dollar ($1.00).
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-803 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-803
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-803
Status: in_force

(1) Each political committee shall file a statement of organization which must be received by the Secretary of State no later than forty-eight (48) hours after:

(a) Receipt of contributions aggregating in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00), or

(b) Having made expenditures aggregating in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00).

(2) The content of the statement of organization of a political committee shall include:

(a) The name, address, officers, and members of the committee;

(b) The designation of a chair of the organization and a custodian of the financial books, records and accounts of the organization, who shall be designated treasurer; and

(c) If the committee is authorized by a candidate, then the name, address, office sought and party affiliation of the candidate.

(3) Any change in information previously submitted in a statement of organization shall be reported and noted on the next regularly scheduled report.

(4) In addition to any other penalties provided by law, the Mississippi Ethics Commission may impose administrative penalties against any political committee that fails to comply with the requirements of this section in an amount not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) per violation. The notice, hearing and appeals provisions of Section 23-15-813 shall apply to any action taken pursuant to this subsection (4). The Mississippi Ethics Commission may pursue judicial enforcement of any penalties issued pursuant to this section.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-691 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-691
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-691
Status: in_force

As soon as possible after the printing of the official absentee ballot for any election, the registrar of the county shall send to any absent voter as defined in this subarticle, who shall, upon proper application, have requested same, the official absentee voter ballot or ballots provided for in this subarticle and the instructions for voting and returning the ballot. If the ballot is sent by mail the registrar shall send a self-addressed envelope or envelopes with the ballot and the instructions.

If the ballot is sent by mail, the gummed flap of the envelope provided for the return of the ballot must be separated by wax paper or other appropriate protective insert from the remaining balloting material. The voting instructions shall require a notation of the facts on the back of the envelope duly signed by the voter.

If applicable, the instructions shall indicate that the ballot shall be marked in ink or indelible pencil.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-715 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-715
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-715
Status: in_force

Any elector desiring an absentee ballot as provided in this subarticle may secure same if:

(a) Not more than forty-five (45) days nor later than 12:00 noon, on the Saturday immediately preceding elections held on Tuesday, the Thursday immediately preceding elections held on Saturday, or the second day immediately preceding the date of elections held on other days, he or she shall appear in person before the registrar of the county in which he resides, or for municipal elections he shall appear in person before the city clerk of the municipality in which he or she resides and, when the elector so appears, he or she shall execute and file an application as provided in Section 23-15-627 and vote by absentee ballot. If the absentee ballot has not been printed by forty-five (45) days preceding the election, the elector may appear and file an application anytime before the election. Then the absentee ballot shall be mailed by the registrar to the elector as soon as the ballot has been printed.

(b) Within forty-five (45) days next prior to any election, any elector who cannot comply with paragraph (a) of this section by reason of temporarily residing outside the county, or any person who has a temporary or permanent physical disability, persons who are sixty-five (65) years of age or older, any person who is incarcerated in prison or jail in the county where the person is registered to vote and has not been convicted of a disenfranchising crime, or any person who is the parent, spouse or dependent of a temporarily or permanently physically disabled person who is hospitalized outside of his or her county of residence or more than fifty (50) miles away from his or her residence and such parent, spouse or dependent will be with such person on election day, may make application for an absentee ballot by mailing the appropriate application to the registrar. Only persons temporarily residing out of the county of their residence, persons having a temporary or permanent physical disability, persons who are sixty-five (65) years of age or older, any person who is incarcerated in prison or jail in the county where the person is registered to vote and has not been convicted of a disenfranchising crime, or any person who is the parent, spouse or dependent of a temporarily or permanently physically disabled person who is hospitalized outside of his or her county of residence or more than fifty (50) miles away from his or her residence, and such parent, spouse or dependent will be with such person on election day, may obtain absentee ballots by mail under the provisions of this subsection and as provided by Section 23-15-713 . Applications of persons temporarily residing outside the county shall be sworn to and subscribed before an official who is authorized to administer oaths or other official authorized to witness absentee balloting as provided in this chapter, said application to be accompanied by such verifying affidavits as required by this chapter. The applications of persons having a temporary or permanent physical disability shall not be required to be accompanied by an affidavit but shall be witnessed and signed by a person eighteen (18) years of age or older. The registrar shall send to such absent voter a proper absentee voter ballot within twenty-four (24) hours, or as soon thereafter as the ballots are available, containing the names of all candidates who qualify or the proposition to be voted on in such election, and with such ballot there shall be sent an official envelope containing upon it in printed form the recitals and data hereinafter required.

(c) Except when the voter has requested a runoff ballot on the initial absentee ballot application, upon request for a runoff ballot pursuant to Section 23-15-719 , the registrar shall mail together the absentee ballot application and the absentee ballot to the absent voter for the runoff election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-577 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-577
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-577
Status: in_force

(1) Each candidate on the ballot shall have the right, either in person or by a credentialed poll watcher, to be present at the polling place. In general and special elections, each political party that has a candidate on the ballot shall have the right to be represented at the polling place by two (2) credentialed poll watchers.

(2) A credentialed poll watcher means a poll watcher of good conduct and behavior, authorized in writing to act as the representative of a candidate on the ballot or political party that has a candidate on the ballot. The written authorization of the candidate or political party must be presented to a poll manager by the certified poll watcher upon arrival at the polling place.

(3) Poll managers shall provide candidates and credentialed poll watchers with a suitable position from which they may be able to clearly see and hear the manner in which the election is held. Candidates and credentialed poll watchers shall be authorized to bring their own pollbooks, whether in a print or electronic form, to the polling place during each general and special election.

(4) Candidates and credentialed poll watchers shall be allowed to challenge the qualifications of any person offering to vote, and their challenge shall be considered and acted upon by the poll managers. However, candidates and credentialed poll watchers shall not be allowed to interfere in the election process, which shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(a) Communicating with any voter;

(b) Physically touching or handling any ballot, absentee ballot envelope, absentee ballot application or affidavit ballot envelope;

(c) Viewing or photographing the pollbooks while at the polling place; or

(d) Photographing the receipt books while at the polling place.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-781 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-781
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-781
Status: in_force

The number of electors of President and Vice-President of the United States to which this state may be entitled, shall be chosen by the qualified electors of the state at large, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in the year in which an election of President and Vice-President shall occur.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-533.1 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-533.1
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-533.1
Status: in_force

As used in this subarticle:

(a) “ Department ” means the Mississippi Secretary of State.

(b) “ Grant program ” means the “Mississippi Voting Modernization Grant Program” established in Section 23-15-533.2 .

(c) “ Voting system ” means any voting machine, voting device, precinct ballot scanner, central scanner, ballot-marking device, ballot-on-demand printing system, tabulation server or vote tabulating device, along with any operating software for such machines and devices, that:

(i) Does not utilize pre-scored punch card ballots; and

(ii) Produces voter-verifiable paper ballots.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-503 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-503
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-503
Status: in_force

As used in this subarticle, unless otherwise specified:

(a) “ Optimal mark reading (OMR) ” means a method of capturing data electronically into a computer system.

(b) “ Optical mark reading equipment (OMR) ” means an apparatus that reads pen and pencil marks made in pre-defined positions on paper ballots to automatically examine and count votes.

(c) “ Counting center ” means one or more locations used for the automatic counting of ballots.

(d) “ Marking device ” means a pen or pencil that the voters use to record their paper ballots, which is readable by the OMR equipment.

(e) “ Ballot ” means a paper ballot on which votes are recorded by means of marking the ballot with a marking device.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-239 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-239
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-239
Status: in_force

(1) The executive committee of each county, in the case of a primary election, or the election commissioners of each county, in the case of all other elections, in conjunction with the circuit clerk, shall, in the years in which counties conduct an election, sponsor and conduct, not less than five (5) days before each election, not less than four (4) hours and not more than eight (8) hours of poll manager training to instruct poll managers as to their duties in the proper administration of the election and the operation of the polling place. Any poll manager who completes the online training course provided by the Secretary of State shall only be required to complete two (2) hours of in-person poll manager training. No poll manager shall serve in any election unless he or she has received these instructions once during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date upon which the election is held; however, nothing in this section shall prevent the appointment of an alternate poll manager to fill a vacancy in case of an emergency. The county executive committee or the election commissioners, as appropriate, shall train a sufficient number of alternates to serve in the event a poll manager is unable to serve for any reason.

(2)(a) If it is eligible under Section 23-15-266 , the county executive committee may enter into a written agreement with the circuit clerk or the county election commission authorizing the circuit clerk or the county election commission to perform any of the duties required of the county executive committee pursuant to this section. Any agreement entered into pursuant to this subsection shall be signed by the chair of the county executive committee and the circuit clerk or the chair of the county election commission, as appropriate. The county executive committee shall notify the state executive committee and the Secretary of State of the existence of the agreement.

(b) If it is eligible under Section 23-15-266 , the municipal executive committee may enter into a written agreement with the municipal clerk or the municipal election commission authorizing the municipal clerk or the municipal election commission to perform any of the duties required of the municipal executive committee pursuant to this section. Any agreement entered into pursuant to this subsection shall be signed by the chair of the municipal executive committee and the municipal clerk or the chair of the municipal election commission, as appropriate. The municipal executive committee shall notify the state executive committee and the Secretary of State of the existence of the agreement.

(3) The board of supervisors and the municipal governing authority, in their discretion, may compensate poll managers who attend these training sessions. The compensation shall be at a rate of not less than the federal hourly minimum wage and not more than Twenty Dollars ($20.00) per hour. Poll managers shall not be compensated for more than sixteen (16) hours of attendance at the training sessions regardless of the actual amount of time that they attended the training sessions.

(4) The time and location of the training sessions required pursuant to this section shall be announced to the general public by posting a notice thereof at the courthouse and by delivering a copy of the notice to the office of a newspaper having general circulation in the county five (5) days before the date upon which the training session is to be conducted. Persons who will serve as poll watchers for candidates and political parties, as well as members of the general public, shall be allowed to attend the sessions.

(5) Subject to the following annual limitations, the election commissioners shall be entitled to receive a per diem in the amount of One Hundred Ten Dollars ($110.00), to be paid from the county general fund, for every day or period of no less than five (5) hours accumulated over two (2) or more days actually employed in the performance of their duties for the necessary time spent in conducting training sessions as required by this section:

(a) In counties having less than fifteen thousand (15,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census, not more than five (5) days per year;

(b) In counties having fifteen thousand (15,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census but less than thirty thousand (30,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census, not more than eight (8) days per year;

(c) In counties having thirty thousand (30,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census but less than seventy thousand (70,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census, not more than ten (10) days per year;

(d) In counties having seventy thousand (70,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census but less than ninety thousand (90,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census, not more than twelve (12) days per year;

(e) In counties having ninety thousand (90,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census but less than one hundred seventy thousand (170,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census, not more than fifteen (15) days per year;

(f) In counties having one hundred seventy thousand (170,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census but less than two hundred thousand (200,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census, not more than eighteen (18) days per year;

(g) In counties having two hundred thousand (200,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census but less than two hundred twenty-five thousand (225,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census, not more than nineteen (19) days per year;

(h) In counties having two hundred twenty-five thousand (225,000) residents or more according to the latest federal decennial census, not more than twenty-two (22) days per year.

(6) Election commissioners shall claim the per diem authorized in subsection (5) of this section in the manner provided for in Section 23-15-153(6) .

(7)(a) To provide poll manager training, the Secretary of State has developed a single, comprehensive poll manager training program to ensure uniform, secure elections throughout the state. The program includes online training on all state and federal election laws and procedures and voting machine opening and closing procedures.

(b) County poll managers who individually access and complete the online training program, including all skills assessments, at least five (5) days before an election shall be defined as “certified poll managers,” and entitled to a “Certificate of Completion.”

(c) At least one (1) certified poll manager shall be appointed by the county election officials to work in each polling place in the county during each general election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-71 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-71
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-71
Status: in_force

Any elector aggrieved by the decision of the commissioners shall have the right to file a bill of exceptions thereto, to be approved and signed by the commissioners, embodying the evidence in the case and the findings of the commissioners, within two (2) days after the rendition of the decision, and may thereupon appeal to the circuit court upon the execution of a bond, with two (2) or more sufficient sureties to be approved by the commissioners, in the sum of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), payable to the state, and conditioned to pay all costs in case the appeal shall not be successfully prosecuted; and in case the decision of the commissioners be affirmed, judgment shall be entered on the bond for all costs.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-357 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-357
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-357
Status: in_force

On the back and outside of the ballot shall be printed the words “OFFICIAL BALLOT,” the name of the voting precinct or place for which the ballot is prepared, and the date of the election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-59 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-59
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-59
Status: in_force

It is unlawful for a person to interfere with or influence the vote of an elector on a measure by means of violence, threats, intimidation, enforcing the payment of a debt, bringing a suit or criminal prosecution, any threat or action affecting a person's conditions of employment or other corrupt means.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-579 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-579
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-579
Status: in_force

(1) All votes, which shall be challenged at the polls, whether the question be raised by a poll manager or another authorized challenger, shall be considered by the poll managers at that time.

(2) When it so clearly appears in the unanimous opinion of the poll managers, either by the admissions or statements of the person challenged or from documentary or oral evidence then presented to the poll managers, that the challenge is well taken, the vote shall be rejected entirely and shall not be counted. In such case, the challenged voter shall mark his or her choices and cast his or her vote by paper ballot. After the ballot has been marked by the challenged voter, it shall be marked by the poll manager on the back “REJECTED” and the name of the voter and the reason the ballot of the challenged voter was rejected shall also be written on the back of the ballot. All rejected ballots shall be placed in the ballot box until the close of the polls at which time, upon the opening of the ballot box, all rejected ballots shall be placed in a separate strong envelope and returned to the box.

(3) When it so clearly appears in the unanimous opinion of the poll managers, either by the admissions or statements of the person challenged or from documentary or oral evidence then presented to the poll managers, that the challenge is frivolous and not made in good faith, the poll managers shall disregard the challenge and the voter shall cast his or her vote as other voters in the polling place as though not challenged.

(4) When it does not so clearly appear whether the challenge is well taken or frivolous and no unanimous decision can be made by the poll managers, the challenged voter shall mark his or her choices and cast his or her vote by paper ballot. After the ballot has been marked by the challenged voter, it shall be marked by the poll managers on the back “CHALLENGED,” and the name of the voter and the reason the challenge of the voter was made shall also be written on the back of the ballot. All challenged ballots shall be placed in the ballot box until the close of the polls at which time, upon the opening of the ballot box, all challenged ballots shall be removed therefrom and separately counted, tallied and totaled with a separate return made of the challenged votes. Challenged ballots shall be placed in a separate strong envelope, and returned to the ballot box.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-19 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-19
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-19
Status: in_force

Any person who has been convicted of vote fraud or any crime listed in Section 241, Mississippi Constitution of 1890 , such crimes defined as “disenfranchising,” shall not be registered, or if registered the name of the person shall be removed from the Statewide Elections Management System by the registrar or the election commissioners of the county of his or her residence. Whenever any person shall be convicted in the circuit court of his or her county of a disenfranchising crime, the county registrar shall thereupon remove his or her name from the Statewide Elections Management System; and whenever any person shall be convicted of a disenfranchising crime in any other court of any county, the presiding judge of the court shall, on demand, certify the fact in writing to the registrar of the county in which the voter resides, who shall thereupon remove the name of the person from the Statewide Elections Management System and retain the certificate as a record of his or her office.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-11 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-11
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-11
Status: in_force

Every inhabitant of this state, except persons adjudicated to be non compos mentis, who is a citizen of the United States of America, eighteen (18) years old and upwards, who has resided in this state for thirty (30) days and for thirty (30) days in the county in which he or she seeks to vote, and for thirty (30) days in the incorporated municipality in which he or she seeks to vote, and who has been duly registered as an elector under Section 23-15-33 , and who has never been convicted of vote fraud or of any crime listed in Section 241, Mississippi Constitution of 1890 , shall be a qualified elector in and for the county, municipality and voting precinct of his or her residence, and shall be entitled to vote at any election upon compliance with Section 23-15-563 . If the thirtieth day to register before an election falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, the registration applications submitted on the business day immediately following the Sunday or legal holiday shall be accepted and entered in the Statewide Elections Management System for the purpose of enabling voters to vote in the next election. Any person who will be eighteen (18) years of age or older on or before the date of the general election and who is duly registered to vote not less than thirty (30) days before the primary election associated with the general election, may vote in the primary election even though the person has not reached his or her eighteenth birthday at the time that the person seeks to vote at the primary election. No others than those specified in this section shall be entitled, or shall be allowed, to vote at any election.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-533 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-533
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-533
Status: in_force

This subarticle shall be known and may be cited as the “Mississippi Voting Modernization Act.”
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-27 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-27
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-27
Status: in_force

If no appeal is taken from the refusal of the Secretary of State to file a petition within the time prescribed, or if an appeal is taken and the Secretary of State is not required to file the petition by the mandate of the Supreme Court, the Secretary of State shall destroy it.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-511 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-511
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-511
Status: in_force

The ballots shall, as far as practicable, be in the same order of arrangement as provided for paper ballots that are to be counted manually, except that the information may be printed in vertical or horizontal rows. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as prohibiting the information being presented to the voters from being printed on both sides of a single ballot. In those years when a special election shall occur on the same day as the general election, the names of candidates in any special election and the general election shall be placed on the same ballot by the election commissioners or officials in charge of the election, but the general election candidates shall be clearly distinguished from the special election candidates. At any time a special election is held on the same day as a party primary election, the names of the candidates in the special election may be placed on the same ballot by the officials in charge of the election, but shall be clearly distinguished as special election candidates or primary election candidates.

Ballots shall be printed in plain clear type in black ink and upon clear white materials of such size and arrangement as to be compatible with the OMR equipment. Absentee ballots shall be prepared and printed in the same form and shall be on the same size and texture as the regular official ballots, except that they shall be printed on tinted paper; or the ink used to print the ballots shall be of a color different from that of the ink used to print the regular official ballots. Arrows may be printed on the ballot to indicate the place to mark the ballot, which may be to the right or left of the names of candidates and propositions. The titles of offices may be arranged in vertical columns on the ballot and shall be printed above or at the side of the names of candidates so as to indicate clearly the candidates for each office and the number to be elected. In case there are more candidates for an office than can be printed in one (1) column, the ballot shall be clearly marked that the list of candidates is continued on the following column. The names of candidates for each office shall be printed in vertical columns, grouped by the offices that they seek. In partisan elections, the party designation of each candidate, which may be abbreviated, shall be printed following his or her name.

One (1) sample ballot, which shall be a facsimile of the official ballot and instructions to the voters, shall be provided for each precinct and shall be posted in each polling place on election day.

A separate ballot security envelope or suitable equivalent in which the voter can place his or her ballot after voting, shall be provided to conceal the choices the voter has made. Absentee voters will receive a similar ballot security envelope provided by the county in which the absentee voter will insert their voted ballot, which then can be inserted into a return envelope to be mailed back to the election official. Absentee ballots will not be required to be folded when a ballot security envelope is provided.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-169.5 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-169.5
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-169.5
Status: in_force

The Secretary of State shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the provisions of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 in this state.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-311 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-311
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-311
Status: in_force

All the expenses of printing the tickets, paying the poll managers, clerks and returning officer of a municipal primary election shall be paid by the municipality from the general funds thereof, but such officers of primary elections shall receive only such compensation as is authorized by law or ordinance to be paid poll managers, clerks and returning officer for like services rendered in the general elections held in the municipality.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-49 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 17 / Section 17-49
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-49
Status: in_force

(1) Each political committee shall file with the Secretary of State a statement of organization no later than ten (10) days after receipt of contributions aggregating in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00), or no later than ten (10) days after having made expenditures aggregating in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00).

(2) The statement of organization of a political committee must include:

(a) The name and address of the committee and all officers;

(b) Designation of a director of the committee and a custodian of books and accounts of the committee, who shall be designated treasurer; and

(c) A brief statement identifying the measure that the committee seeks to pass or defeat.

Any change in information previously submitted in a statement of organization shall be reported and filed within ten (10) days.
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-513 — MS Code / Title 23 / Chapter 15 / Section 15-513
Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-513
Status: in_force

(1) The official ballots, sample ballots and other necessary forms and supplies of the forms and description required by this chapter or required for the conduct of elections with an electronic voting system shall be prepared and furnished by the same official, in the same manner and time, and delivered to the same officials as provided by law with respect to paper ballots that are to be counted manually.

(2) For each primary election, the number of official ballots that shall be printed by each executive committee shall be not less than one hundred twenty-five percent (125%) of the highest number of votes cast in a comparable primary election conducted by the same political party in the preceding ten (10) years.

(3) For each general election, the number of official ballots that shall be printed shall be a number equal to not less than sixty percent (60%) of the registered voters eligible to vote in the election.