Voting rights; restore upon satisfaction of all sentencing requirements of a conviction including parole but not probation.

H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 1 (ENK\KP)

To: Judiciary B;
Constitution
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Anderson (110th)

HOUSE BILL NO. 732

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO IS OTHERWISE A QUALIFIED ELECTOR AND 2
HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF VOTER FRAUD, BRIBERY, THEFT, ARSON, 3
OBTAINING MONEY OR GOODS UNDER FALSE PRETENSE, PERJURY, FORGERY, 4
EMBEZZLEMENT, BIGAMY OR ANY CRIME INTERPRETED AS DISENFRANCHISING 5
IN LATER ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINIONS EXCEPT FOR MURDER AND RAPE 6
SHALL HAVE HIS OR HER RIGHT TO VOTE SUSPENDED UPON CONVICTION AND 7
SHALL NOT HAVE HIS OR HER RIGHT TO VOTE RESTORED UNTIL HE OR SHE 8
HAS SATISFIED ALL OF THE SENTENCING REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONVICTION 9
INCLUDING PAROLE BUT NOT PROBATION; TO AMEND SECTIONS 23-15-19, 10
23-15-125, 23-15-151, 23-15-153 AND 23-15-165, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 11
1972, TO CONFORM TO THE PRECEDING SECTION; TO BRING FORWARD 12
SECTIONS 97-39-3 AND 99-19-37, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE 13
PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 14
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 15
SECTION 1. Section 23-15-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 16
amended as follows: 17
23-15-11. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection 18
(2), every inhabitant of this state, except persons adjudicated to 19
be non compos mentis, shall be a qualified elector in and for the 20
county, municipality and voting precinct of his or her residence 21
and shall be entitled to vote at any election upon compliance with 22
Section 23-15-563, if he or she is: 23
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 2 (ENK\KP)

(a) * * * A citizen of the United States of 24
America * * *; 25
(b) Eighteen (18) years old and upwards * * *; 26
(c) * * * A resident in this state for thirty (30) days 27
and for thirty (30) days in the county in which he or she seeks to 28
vote, and for thirty (30) days in the incorporated municipality in 29
which he or she seeks to vote * * *; 30
(d) * * * Duly registered as an elector under Section 31
23-15-33 * * *; and 32
(e) * * * Never * * * convicted of rape or murder * * *. 33
If the thirtieth day to register before an election falls on 34
a Sunday or legal holiday, the registration applications submitted 35
on the business day immediately following the Sunday or legal 36
holiday shall be accepted and entered in the Statewide Elections 37
Management System for the purpose of enabling voters to vote in 38
the next election. 39
(2) A person who is otherwise a qualified elector under the 40
provisions of subsection (1) and has been convicted of voter 41
fraud, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining money or goods under false 42
pretense, perjury, forgery, embezzlement, bigamy or any crime 43
interpreted as disenfranchising in later Attorney General opinions 44
except for murder and rape shall have his or her right to vote 45
suspended upon conviction and shall have his or her right to vote 46
restored once he or she has satisfied all of the sentencing 47
requirements of the conviction including parole but not probation. 48
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 3 (ENK\KP)

(3) Any person who will be eighteen (18) years of age or 49
older on or before the date of the general election and who is 50
duly registered to vote not less than thirty (30) days before the 51
primary election associated with the general election, may vote in 52
the primary election even though the person has not reached his or 53
her eighteenth birthday at the time that the person seeks to vote 54
at the primary election. 55
(4) No others than those specified in this section shall be 56
entitled, or shall be allowed, to vote at any election. 57
SECTION 2. Section 23-15-19, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 58
amended as follows: 59
23-15-19. Any person who has been convicted of vote 60
fraud * * * ,any crime listed in Section 241, Mississippi 61
Constitution of 1890, except for murder and rape, or any crime 62
interpreted as disenfranchising in later Attorney General 63
opinions, such crimes defined as "disenfranchising," shall * * * 64
have his or her right to vote suspended upon conviction and shall 65
have his or her right to vote restored once he or she has 66
satisfied all of the sentencing requirements of the conviction 67
including parole but not probation. Whenever any person shall be 68
convicted in the circuit court of his or her county of a 69
disenfranchising crime, the county registrar shall * * * remove 70
his or her name from the Statewide Elections Management System 71
until he or she has satisfied all of the sentencing requirements 72
of the conviction including parole but not probation; and whenever 73
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 4 (ENK\KP)

any person shall be convicted of a disenfranchising crime in any 74
other court of any county, the presiding judge of the court shall, 75
on demand, certify the fact in writing to the registrar of the 76
county in which the voter resides, who shall * * * remove the name 77
of the person from the Statewide Elections Management System until 78
he or she has satisfied all of the sentencing requirements of the 79
conviction including parole but not probation and retain the 80
certificate as a record of his or her office. 81
SECTION 3. Section 23-15-125, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 82
amended as follows: 83
23-15-125. The pollbook of each voting precinct shall 84
designate the voting precinct for which it is to be used, and 85
shall be ruled in appropriate columns, with printed or written 86
headings, as follows: date of registration; voter registration 87
number; name of electors; date of birth; and a number of blank 88
columns for the dates of elections. All qualified applicants who 89
register with the registrar shall be entered in the Statewide 90
Elections Management System. Only the names of those qualified 91
applicants who register within thirty (30) days before an election 92
shall appear on the pollbooks of the election; however, if the 93
thirtieth day to register before an election falls on a Sunday or 94
legal holiday, the registration applications submitted on the 95
business day immediately following the legal holiday shall be 96
accepted and entered in the Statewide Elections Management System 97
for the purpose of enabling voters to vote in the next election. 98
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 5 (ENK\KP)

When county election commissioners determine that any elector is 99
disqualified from voting, by reason of death, conviction of a 100
disenfranchising crime, removal from the jurisdiction, failure to 101
comply with the provisions of Section 23-15-152, or other legal 102
cause, that fact shall be noted in the Statewide Elections 103
Management System and the voter's name shall be purged from the 104
Statewide Elections Management System, the state's voter roll and 105
the county's pollbooks. Nothing in this section shall preclude 106
the use of electronic pollbooks. A person who is otherwise a 107
qualified elector under the provisions of Section 23-15-11 and has 108
been convicted of voter fraud, bribery, theft, arson, obtaining 109
money or goods under false pretense, perjury, forgery, 110
embezzlement, bigamy or any crime interpreted as disenfranchising 111
in later Attorney General opinions except for murder and rape 112
shall have his or her right to vote suspended upon conviction but 113
shall have his or her right to vote restored once he or she has 114
satisfied all of the sentencing requirements of the conviction 115
including parole but not probation. Once the person has satisfied 116
all of the sentencing requirements of the conviction, the voter's 117
name shall be restored in the Statewide Elections Management 118
System, the state's voter roll and the county's pollbooks. 119
SECTION 4. Section 23-15-151, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 120
amended as follows: 121
23-15-151. The circuit clerk of each county is authorized 122
and directed to prepare and keep in his or her office a full and 123
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 6 (ENK\KP)

complete list, in alphabetical order, of persons convicted of 124
voter fraud or of any crime listed in Section 241, Mississippi 125
Constitution of 1890 or any crime interpreted as disenfranchising 126
in later Attorney General opinions whose right to vote has been 127
suspended upon conviction. A certified copy of any enrollment by 128
one clerk to another will be sufficient authority for the 129
enrollment of the name, or names, in another county. A list of 130
persons convicted of voter fraud, any crime listed in Section 241, 131
Mississippi Constitution of 1890, or any crime interpreted as 132
disenfranchising in later Attorney General opinions, shall also be 133
entered into the Statewide Elections Management System on a 134
quarterly basis. * * * A person who is otherwise a qualified 135
elector under the provisions of Section 23-15-11 and has been 136
convicted of voter fraud, any crime listed in Section 241, 137
Mississippi Constitution of 1890 except for murder and rape, or 138
any crime interpreted as disenfranchising in later Attorney 139
General opinions, shall have his or her right to vote suspended 140
upon conviction but shall have his or her right to vote 141
automatically restored once he or she has satisfied all of the 142
sentencing requirements of the conviction, including parole but 143
not probation. Once the person has satisfied all of the 144
sentencing requirements of the conviction, including parole but 145
not probation, the voter's name shall be automatically restored 146
into the Statewide Elections Management System, the state's voter 147
roll and the county's pollbooks. 148
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 7 (ENK\KP)

SECTION 5. Section 23-15-153, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 149
amended as follows: 150
23-15-153. (1) At least during the following times, the 151
election commissioners shall meet at the office of the registrar 152
or the office of the election commissioners to carefully revise 153
the county voter roll as electronically maintained by the 154
Statewide Elections Management System and remove from the roll the 155
names of all voters who have requested to be purged from the voter 156
roll, died, received an adjudication of non compos mentis, been 157
convicted of a disenfranchising crime and has had his or her right 158
to vote suspended, failed to comply with the provisions of Section 159
23-15-152, or otherwise become disqualified as electors for any 160
cause, and shall register the names of all persons who have duly 161
applied to be registered but have been illegally denied 162
registration: 163
(a) On the Tuesday after the second Monday in January 164
1987 and every following year; 165
(b) On the first Tuesday in the month immediately 166
preceding the first primary election for members of Congress in 167
the years when members of Congress are elected; 168
(c) On the first Monday in the month immediately 169
preceding the first primary election for state, state district 170
legislative, county and county district offices in the years in 171
which those offices are elected; and 172
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 8 (ENK\KP)

(d) On the second Monday of September preceding the 173
general election or regular special election day in years in which 174
a general election is not conducted. 175
Except for the names of those voters who are duly qualified 176
to vote in the election, no name shall be permitted to remain in 177
the Statewide Elections Management System; however, no name shall 178
be purged from the Statewide Elections Management System based on 179
a change in the residence of an elector except in accordance with 180
procedures provided for by the National Voter Registration Act of 181
1993 and as provided in Section 23-15-152. Except as otherwise 182
provided by Section 23-15-573, no person shall vote at any 183
election whose name is not in the county voter roll electronically 184
maintained by the Statewide Elections Management System. 185
(2) Except as provided in this section, and subject to the 186
following annual limitations, the election commissioners shall be 187
entitled to receive a per diem in the amount of One Hundred Ten 188
Dollars ($110.00), to be paid from the county general fund, for 189
every day or period of no less than five (5) hours accumulated 190
over two (2) or more days actually employed in the performance of 191
their duties in the conduct of an election or actually employed in 192
the performance of their duties for the necessary time spent in 193
the revision of the county voter roll as electronically maintained 194
by the Statewide Elections Management System as required in 195
subsection (1) of this section: 196
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 9 (ENK\KP)

(a) In counties having less than fifteen thousand 197
(15,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial 198
census, not more than fifty (50) days per year, with no more than 199
fifteen (15) additional days allowed for the conduct of each 200
election in excess of one (1) occurring in any calendar year; 201
(b) In counties having fifteen thousand (15,000) 202
residents according to the latest federal decennial census but 203
less than thirty thousand (30,000) residents according to the 204
latest federal decennial census, not more than seventy-five (75) 205
days per year, with no more than twenty-five (25) additional days 206
allowed for the conduct of each election in excess of one (1) 207
occurring in any calendar year; 208
(c) In counties having thirty thousand (30,000) 209
residents according to the latest federal decennial census but 210
less than seventy thousand (70,000) residents according to the 211
latest federal decennial census, not more than one hundred (100) 212
days per year, with no more than thirty-five (35) additional days 213
allowed for the conduct of each election in excess of one (l) 214
occurring in any calendar year; 215
(d) In counties having seventy thousand (70,000) 216
residents according to the latest federal decennial census but 217
less than ninety thousand (90,000) residents according to the 218
latest federal decennial census, not more than one hundred 219
twenty-five (125) days per year, with no more than forty-five (45) 220
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 10 (ENK\KP)

additional days allowed for the conduct of each election in excess 221
of one (1) occurring in any calendar year; 222
(e) In counties having ninety thousand (90,000) 223
residents according to the latest federal decennial census but 224
less than one hundred seventy thousand (170,000) residents 225
according to the latest federal decennial census, not more than 226
one hundred fifty (150) days per year, with no more than 227
fifty-five (55) additional days allowed for the conduct of each 228
election in excess of one (1) occurring in any calendar year; 229
(f) In counties having one hundred seventy thousand 230
(170,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial 231
census but less than two hundred thousand (200,000) residents 232
according to the latest federal decennial census, not more than 233
one hundred seventy-five (175) days per year, with no more than 234
sixty-five (65) additional days allowed for the conduct of each 235
election in excess of one (1) occurring in any calendar year; 236
(g) In counties having two hundred thousand (200,000) 237
residents according to the latest federal decennial census but 238
less than two hundred twenty-five thousand (225,000) residents 239
according to the latest federal decennial census, not more than 240
one hundred ninety (190) days per year, with no more than 241
seventy-five (75) additional days allowed for the conduct of each 242
election in excess of one (l) occurring in any calendar year; 243
(h) In counties having two hundred twenty-five thousand 244
(225,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial 245
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 11 (ENK\KP)

census but less than two hundred fifty thousand (250,000) 246
residents according to the latest federal decennial census, not 247
more than two hundred fifteen (215) days per year, with no more 248
than eighty-five (85) additional days allowed for the conduct of 249
each election in excess of one (1) occurring in any calendar year; 250
(i) In counties having two hundred fifty thousand 251
(250,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial 252
census but less than two hundred seventy-five thousand (275,000) 253
residents according to the latest federal decennial census, not 254
more than two hundred thirty (230) days per year, with no more 255
than ninety-five (95) additional days allowed for the conduct of 256
each election in excess of one (1) occurring in any calendar year; 257
(j) In counties having two hundred seventy-five 258
thousand (275,000) residents according to the latest federal 259
decennial census or more, not more than two hundred forty (240) 260
days per year, with no more than one hundred five (105) additional 261
days allowed for the conduct of each election in excess of one (l) 262
occurring in any calendar year. 263
(3) In addition to the number of days authorized in 264
subsection (2) of this section, the board of supervisors of a 265
county may authorize, in its discretion, the election 266
commissioners to receive a per diem in the amount provided for in 267
subsection (2) of this section, to be paid from the county general 268
fund, for every day or period of no less than five (5) hours 269
accumulated over two (2) or more days actually employed in the 270
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 12 (ENK\KP)

performance of their duties in the conduct of an election or 271
actually employed in the performance of their duties for the 272
necessary time spent in the revision of the county voter roll as 273
electronically maintained by the Statewide Elections Management 274
System as required in subsection (1) of this section, not to 275
exceed five (5) days. 276
(4) (a) The election commissioners shall be entitled to 277
receive a per diem in the amount of One Hundred Ten Dollars 278
($110.00), to be paid from the county general fund, not to exceed 279
ten (10) days for every day or period of no less than five (5) 280
hours accumulated over two (2) or more days actually employed in 281
the performance of their duties for the necessary time spent in 282
the revision of the county voter roll as electronically maintained 283
by the Statewide Elections Management System before any special 284
election. For purposes of this paragraph, the regular special 285
election day shall not be considered a special election. The 286
annual limitations set forth in subsection (2) of this section 287
shall not apply to this paragraph. 288
(b) The election commissioners shall be entitled to 289
receive a per diem in the amount of One Hundred Sixty-five Dollars 290
($165.00), to be paid from the county general fund, for the 291
performance of their duties on the day of any primary, runoff, 292
general or special election; however, the board of supervisors 293
may, in its discretion, pay the election commissioners an 294
additional amount not to exceed Thirty-five Dollars ($35.00) per 295
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 13 (ENK\KP)

election. The annual limitations set forth in subsection (2) of 296
this section shall apply to this paragraph. 297
(5) The election commissioners shall be entitled to receive 298
a per diem in the amount of One Hundred Ten Dollars ($110.00), to 299
be paid from the county general fund, not to exceed fourteen (14) 300
days for every day or period of no less than five (5) hours 301
accumulated over two (2) or more days actually employed in the 302
performance of their duties for the necessary time spent in the 303
revision of the county voter roll as electronically maintained by 304
the Statewide Elections Management System and in the conduct of a 305
runoff election following either a general or special election. 306
(6) The election commissioners shall be entitled to receive 307
only one (1) per diem payment for those days when the election 308
commissioners discharge more than one (1) duty or responsibility 309
on the same day. 310
(7) The election commissioners shall be entitled to receive 311
a per diem in the amount of One Hundred Ten Dollars ($110.00), to 312
be paid from the county general fund, not to exceed five (5) days 313
for every day or period of no less than five (5) hours accumulated 314
over two (2) or more days for those days when the election 315
commissioners shall be required to conduct an audit of an election 316
as provided in Section 23-15-615. 317
(8) In preparation for a municipal primary, runoff, general 318
or special election, the county registrar shall generate and 319
distribute the master voter roll and pollbooks from the Statewide 320
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 14 (ENK\KP)

Elections Management System for the municipality located within 321
the county. The municipality shall pay the county registrar for 322
the actual cost of preparing and printing the municipal master 323
voter roll pollbooks. A municipality may secure "read only" 324
access to the Statewide Elections Management System and print its 325
own pollbooks using this information. 326
(9) County election commissioners who perform the duties of 327
an executive committee with regard to the conduct of a primary 328
election under a written agreement authorized by law to be entered 329
into with an executive committee shall receive per diem as 330
provided for in subsection (2) of this section. The days that 331
county election commissioners are employed in the conduct of a 332
primary election shall be treated the same as days county election 333
commissioners are employed in the conduct of other elections. 334
(10) In addition to any per diem authorized by this section, 335
any election commissioner shall be entitled to the mileage 336
reimbursement rate allowable to federal employees for the use of a 337
privately owned vehicle while on official travel on election day. 338
(11) Every election commissioner shall sign personally a 339
certification setting forth the number of hours actually worked in 340
the performance of the commissioner's official duties and for 341
which the commissioner seeks compensation. The certification must 342
be on a form as prescribed in this subsection. The commissioner's 343
signature is, as a matter of law, made under the commissioner's 344
oath of office and under penalties of perjury. 345
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 15 (ENK\KP)

The certification form shall be as follows: 346
COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSIONER 347
PER DIEM CLAIM FORM 348
NAME: ____________________________ COUNTY: _______________ 349
ADDRESS: _________________________ DISTRICT: _____________ 350
CITY: ______________ ZIP: ________ 351
PURPOSE APPLICABLE ACTUAL PER DIEM 352
DATE BEGINNING ENDING OF MS CODE HOURS DAYS 353
WORKED TIME TIME WORK SECTION WORKED EARNED 354
________________________________________________________________ 355
________________________________________________________________ 356
________________________________________________________________ 357
TOTAL NUMBER OF PER DIEM DAYS EARNED 358
EXCLUDING ELECTION DAYS ________ 359
PER DIEM RATE PER DAY EARNED X $110.00 360
TOTAL NUMBER PER DIEM DAYS EARNED 361
FOR ELECTION DAYS ________ 362
PER DIEM RATE PER DAY EARNED X $165.00 363
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ELECTION DAY 364
DISCRETIONARY ADDITION(S) 365
TO PER DIEM RATE PER DAY EARNED X $35.00 366
TOTAL AMOUNT OF PER DIEM CLAIMED $_______ 367
I understand that I am signing this document under my oath as 368
an election commissioner and under penalties of perjury. 369
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 16 (ENK\KP)

I understand that I am requesting payment from taxpayer funds 370
and that I have an obligation to be specific and truthful as to 371
the amount of hours worked and the compensation I am requesting. 372
Signed this the _____ day of ______________, ____. 373
________________________ 374
Commissioner's Signature 375
When properly completed and signed, the certification must be 376
filed with the clerk of the county board of supervisors before any 377
payment may be made. The certification will be a public record 378
available for inspection and reproduction immediately upon the 379
oral or written request of any person. 380
Any person may contest the accuracy of the certification in 381
any respect by notifying the chair of the commission, any member 382
of the board of supervisors or the clerk of the board of 383
supervisors of the contest at any time before or after payment is 384
made. If the contest is made before payment is made, no payment 385
shall be made as to the contested certificate until the contest is 386
finally disposed of. The person filing the contest shall be 387
entitled to a full hearing, and the clerk of the board of 388
supervisors shall issue subpoenas upon request of the contestor 389
compelling the attendance of witnesses and production of documents 390
and things. The contestor shall have the right to appeal de novo 391
to the circuit court of the involved county, which appeal must be 392
perfected within thirty (30) days from a final decision of the 393
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 17 (ENK\KP)

commission, the clerk of the board of supervisors or the board of 394
supervisors, as the case may be. 395
Any contestor who successfully contests any certification 396
will be awarded all expenses incident to his or her contest, 397
together with reasonable attorney's fees, which will be awarded 398
upon petition to the chancery court of the involved county upon 399
final disposition of the contest before the election commission, 400
board of supervisors, clerk of the board of supervisors, or, in 401
case of an appeal, final disposition by the court. The 402
commissioner against whom the contest is decided shall be liable 403
for the payment of the expenses and attorney's fees, and the 404
county shall be jointly and severally liable for same. 405
(12) Any election commissioner who has not received a 406
certificate issued by the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 407
23-15-211 indicating that the election commissioner has received 408
the required elections seminar instruction and that the election 409
commissioner is fully qualified to conduct an election, shall not 410
receive any compensation authorized by this section or Section 411
23-15-239. 412
SECTION 6. Section 23-15-165, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 413
amended as follows: 414
23-15-165. (1) The Office of the Secretary of State, in 415
cooperation with the county registrars and election commissioners, 416
shall procure, implement and maintain an electronic information 417
processing system and programs capable of maintaining a 418
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 18 (ENK\KP)

centralized database of all registered voters in the state. The 419
system shall encompass software and hardware, at both the state 420
and county level, software development training, conversion and 421
support and maintenance for the system. The Secretary of State 422
shall equip the Statewide Elections Management System with 423
appropriate security measures to protect private information of 424
the registered voter and the integrity of Mississippi elections. 425
This system shall be known as the "Statewide Elections Management 426
System" and shall constitute the official record of registered 427
voters in every county of the state. 428
(2) The Office of the Secretary of State shall develop and 429
implement the Statewide Elections Management System so that the 430
registrar and election commissioners of each county shall: 431
(a) Verify that an applicant that is registering to 432
vote in that county is not registered to vote in another county; 433
(b) Be notified automatically that a registered voter 434
in its county has registered to vote in another county; 435
(c) Receive regular reports of death, changes of 436
address and convictions for disenfranchising crimes which cause a 437
voter to have his or her right to vote suspended that apply to 438
voters registered in the county; 439
(d) Receive regular reports of voters who were not 440
convicted of murder or rape and have satisfied all of the 441
sentencing requirements including parole but not probation of his 442
or her conviction and automatically restore the voter's name into 443
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 19 (ENK\KP)

the Statewide Elections Management System, the state's voter roll 444
and the county's pollbooks; 445
( * * *e) Retain all present functionality related to, 446
but not limited to, the use of voter roll data and to implement 447
such other functionality as the law requires to enhance the 448
maintenance of accurate county voter records and related jury 449
selection and redistricting programs; and 450
( * * *f) When evidence exists that a registered voter 451
may not be a citizen of the United States as provided in Section 452
23-15-15, send notification to the registrar of the location where 453
the person is registered to vote. 454
(3) As a part of the procurement and implementation of the 455
system, the Office of the Secretary of State shall, with the 456
assistance of the advisory committee, procure services necessary 457
to convert current voter registration records in the counties into 458
a standard, industry accepted file format that can be used on the 459
Statewide Elections Management System. Thereafter, all official 460
voter information shall be maintained on the Statewide Elections 461
Management System. The standard industry accepted format of data 462
was reviewed and approved by a majority of the advisory committee 463
created in subsection (5) of this section after consultation with 464
the Circuit Clerks Association and the format may not be changed 465
without consulting the Circuit Clerks Association. 466
(4) The Secretary of State may, with the assistance of the 467
advisory committee, adopt rules and regulations necessary to 468
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 20 (ENK\KP)

administer the Statewide Elections Management System. The rules 469
and regulations shall at least: 470
(a) Provide for the establishment and maintenance of a 471
centralized database for all voter registration information in the 472
state; 473
(b) Provide procedures for integrating data into the 474
centralized database; 475
(c) Provide security to ensure that only the registrar, 476
or his or her designee or other appropriate official, as the law 477
may require, can add information to, delete information from and 478
modify information in the system; 479
(d) Provide the registrar or his or her designee or 480
other appropriate official, as the law may require, access to the 481
system at all times, including the ability to download copies of 482
the industry standard file, for all purposes related to their 483
official duties, including, but not limited to, exclusive access 484
for the purpose of printing all local pollbooks; 485
(e) Provide security and protection of all information 486
in the system and monitor the system to ensure that unauthorized 487
access is not allowed; 488
(f) Provide a procedure that will allow the registrar, 489
or his or her designee or other appropriate official, as the law 490
may require, to identify the precinct to which a voter should be 491
assigned; and 492
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 21 (ENK\KP)

(g) Provide a procedure for phasing in or converting 493
existing manual and computerized voter registration systems in 494
counties to the Statewide Elections Management System. 495
(5) The Secretary of State established an advisory committee 496
to assist in developing system specifications, procurement, 497
implementation and maintenance of the Statewide Elections 498
Management System. The committee included two (2) representatives 499
from the Circuit Clerks Association, appointed by the association; 500
two (2) representatives from the Election Commissioners 501
Association of Mississippi, appointed by the association; one (1) 502
member of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors, or its 503
staff, appointed by the association; the Director of the Stennis 504
Institute of Government at Mississippi State University, or his or 505
her designee; the Executive Director of the Department of 506
Information Technology Services, or his or her designee; two (2) 507
persons knowledgeable about elections and information technology 508
appointed by the Secretary of State; and the Secretary of State, 509
who shall serve as the chair of the advisory committee. 510
(6) (a) Social security numbers, telephone numbers, email 511
addresses, and date of birth and age information in statewide, 512
district, county and municipal voter registration files shall be 513
exempt from and shall not be subject to inspection, examination, 514
copying or reproduction under the Mississippi Public Records Act 515
of 1983. 516
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 22 (ENK\KP)

(b) Copies of statewide, district, county or municipal 517
voter registration files, excluding social security numbers, 518
telephone numbers, email addresses, and date of birth and age 519
information, shall be provided to any person in accordance with 520
the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983 at a cost not to exceed 521
the actual cost of production. 522
SECTION 7. Section 97-39-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 523
brought forward as follows: 524
97-39-3. If any person shall fight a duel, or give or accept 525
a challenge to fight a duel, or knowingly carry or deliver such 526
challenge or the acceptance thereof, or be second to either party 527
to any duel, whether such act be done in the state or out of it, 528
or who shall go out of the state to fight a duel, or to assist in 529
the same as second, or to send, accept, or carry a challenge, 530
shall be disqualified from holding any office, be disenfranchised, 531
and incapable of holding or being elected to any post of honor, 532
profit or emolument, civil or military, under the constitution and 533
laws of this state; and the appointment of any such person to 534
office, as also all votes given to any such person, are illegal, 535
and none of the votes given to such person for any office shall be 536
taken or counted. 537
SECTION 8. Section 99-19-37, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 538
brought forward as follows: 539
99-19-37. (1) Any person who has lost the right of suffrage 540
by reason of conviction of crime and has not been pardoned 541
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 23 (ENK\KP)

therefrom, who thereafter served honorably in any branch of the 542
Armed Forces of the United States during the periods of World War 543
I or World War II as hereinafter defined and shall have received 544
an honorable discharge, or release therefrom, shall by reason of 545
such honorable service, have the full right of suffrage restored, 546
provided, however, this does not apply to any one having an 547
unfinished or suspended sentence. 548
(2) For the purposes of this section the period of World War 549
I shall be from April 6, 1917 to December 1, 1918, and the period 550
of World War II shall be from December 7, 1941 to December 31, 551
1946. 552
(3) In order to have restored, and to exercise, the right of 553
franchise under the provisions of this section a person affected 554
hereby shall have his discharge, or release, from the Armed Forces 555
of the United States recorded in the office of the chancery clerk 556
of the county in which such person desires to exercise the right 557
of franchise and if such discharge, or release, appears to be an 558
honorable discharge, or release, and shows such person to have 559
served honorably during either of the periods stated in subsection 560
(2) of this section such person shall have the full right of 561
suffrage restored as though an act had been passed by the 562
Legislature in accordance with Section 253 of the Constitution of 563
the State of Mississippi restoring the right of suffrage to such 564
person. 565
H. B. No. 732 *HR43/R966* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/HR43/R966
PAGE 24 (ENK\KP)
ST: Voting rights; restore upon satisfaction of
all sentencing requirements of a conviction
including parole but not probation.
SECTION 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from 566
and after July 1 in the year following the year in which the 567
Secretary of State certifies the passage of the constitutional 568
amendment proposed in House Concurrent Resolution , 2026 569
Regular Session. 570