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H. C. R. No. 13 *HR43/R609* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G2/3
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To: Apportionment and
Elections; Constitution
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Representative McCray
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 13
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE 1
MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION OF 1890 TO PROVIDE THAT AN EARLY VOTING 2
PERIOD SHALL BE PROVIDED TEN DAYS BEFORE THE DATE OF EACH PRIMARY, 3
GENERAL, RUNOFF, SPECIAL AND MUNICIPAL ELECTION FOR PUBLIC OFFICE 4
AND CONTINUE UNTIL 5:00 P.M. ON THE SATURDAY PRECEDING THE 5
ELECTION DAY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 6
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF 7
MISSISSIPPI, That the following amendment to the Mississippi 8
Constitution of 1890 is proposed to the qualified electors of the 9
state: 10
Amend the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 by creating a new 11
section to read as follows: 12
"Section ___. (1) For purposes of this section, these words 13
shall have the following meanings, unless their context clearly 14
suggests otherwise: 15
(a) "Election" means the period of time that is 16
available for casting a final vote. References to the time of an 17
election or the duration of the election shall encompass, unless 18
the context clearly indicates otherwise, the ten-day period that 19
has been designed for early voting. 20
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(b) "Polling place" or "voting precinct" means any 21
place that a qualified elector votes during the early voting 22
period and on the actual election day. 23
(2) During any primary, general, runoff, special or 24
municipal election for public office, any qualified elector may 25
vote: 26
(a) In the elector's assigned precinct on election day; 27
(b) In the office of the registrar in which the elector 28
is registered to vote during the times established in subsection 29
(3) of this section for early voting; or 30
(c) By a mail-in absentee ballot. 31
(3) (a) The early voting period shall begin ten (10) days 32
before the date of each primary, general, runoff, special and 33
municipal election for public office and continue until 5:00 p.m. 34
on the Saturday preceding the election day. If the date 35
prescribed for beginning the early voting period falls on a Sunday 36
or state holiday, the early voting period shall begin on the next 37
regular business day. 38
(b) Early voting shall be conducted in the office of 39
the appropriate registrar during regular business hours. If the 40
office space of the registrar is insufficient or inconvenient to 41
accommodate early voting, the registrar may provide an alternate 42
location to conduct early voting, and in such case, adequate 43
notice shall be posted at the registrar's office that informs the 44
public of the location where early voting is being conducted. The 45
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registrar may conduct early voting at an additional secure polling 46
place outside his or her office. The appropriate registrar shall 47
provide at least one (1) additional early voting location for 48
every thirty thousand (30,000) registered county voters and at 49
least one (1) additional early voting location for every ten 50
thousand (10,000) registered municipal voters according to the 51
latest federal decennial census. During the last full week 52
preceding an election, the office of the appropriate registrar may 53
extend the office hours to accommodate early voters. All 54
registrar offices shall remain open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. 55
for the two (2) Saturdays immediately preceding each election. 56
(c) Notice of the early voting hours shall be given by 57
the officials in charge of the election not less than eight (8) 58
days before the day early voting begins. The notice shall be 59
posted in three (3) public places within the county or 60
municipality, with one (1) place being the county courthouse in a 61
county election or city hall in a municipal election. 62
(4) (a) A qualified elector who desires to vote during the 63
early voting period shall appear at the office of the appropriate 64
registrar in the county or municipality in which the elector is 65
registered to vote and shall present an acceptable form of photo 66
identification. Upon verification of the proper location and 67
identity, the elector shall sign the appropriate receipt book and 68
cast his or her vote in the same manner that the vote would be 69
cast on the day of the election. Except as otherwise provided in 70
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subsections (1) through (6) of this section, the election laws 71
that govern the procedures for a person who appears to vote on the 72
day of an election shall apply when a person appears to vote 73
during the early voting period. 74
(b) All votes cast during the early voting period shall 75
be final. Early voting ballots shall be saved using a system that 76
allows the ballots to be examined by a candidate and for election 77
certification and audit purposes. 78
(c) The votes cast during the early voting period shall 79
be announced simultaneously with all other votes cast on election 80
day. 81
(d) Qualified electors voting during the early voting 82
period shall be entitled to the same voting assistance that they 83
would be entitled to on the actual election day. 84
(5) Each political party, candidate or any representative of 85
a political party or candidate pursuant to Section 23-15-577 shall 86
have the right to be present at the office of the appropriate 87
registrar when it is open for early voting and to challenge the 88
qualifications of any person offering to vote in the same manner 89
as provided by law for challenging qualifications at the polling 90
place on election day. 91
(6) The Secretary of State shall promulgate rules and 92
regulations necessary to effectuate early voting, including 93
measures to inform the public about the availability of early 94
voting." 95
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ST: Constitution; amend to require early voting
10 days before every election.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this proposed amendment shall be 96
submitted by the Secretary of State to the qualified electors at 97
an election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday 98
of November 2026, as provided by Section 273 of the Constitution 99
and by general law. 100
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the explanation of this proposed 101
amendment for the ballot shall read as follows: "This proposed 102
constitutional amendment provides that an early voting period 103
shall be provided ten (10) days before the date of each primary, 104
general, runoff, special and municipal election for public office 105
and continue until 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday preceding the 106
election day." 107