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S. B. No. 2587 *SS26/R1125PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Elections
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) England, Simmons (13th)
SENATE BILL NO. 2587
(As Passed the Senate)
AN ACT TO CREATE THE "IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING ACT"; TO 1
PROVIDE DEFINITIONS; TO PROVIDE THAT THE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING 2
PERIOD SHALL BEGIN 22 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION AND CONTINUE UNTIL 3
12:00 P.M. ON THE SATURDAY IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE ELECTION; TO 4
PROVIDE THAT IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING SHALL BE FOR EACH PRIMARY, 5
GENERAL, RUNOFF, SPECIAL AND MUNICIPAL ELECTION FOR PUBLIC OFFICE; 6
TO PROVIDE THE HOURS FOR IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING IN THE 7
REGISTRAR'S OFFICE DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS; TO PROVIDE 8
EXTENDED HOURS TO VOTE DURING THE LAST FULL WEEK PRECEDING AN 9
ELECTION; TO PROVIDE THE APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS FOR IN-PERSON 10
ABSENTEE VOTING TO TAKE PLACE; TO PROVIDE THAT NOTICE OF IN-PERSON 11
ABSENTEE VOTING SHALL BE PROVIDED IN THREE PUBLIC PLACES EIGHT 12
DAYS BEFORE THE VOTING BEGINS; TO PROVIDE THE PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW 13
WHEN CASTING A BALLOT DURING THE IN-PERSON EXCUSED VOTING PERIOD; 14
TO PROVIDE THE MANNER FOR CHALLENGING THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A 15
VOTER DURING THE IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING PERIOD; TO AMEND 16
SECTION 23-15-639, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THAT 17
MAIL-IN BALLOTS BE ANNOUNCED BY THE RESOLUTION BOARD; TO BRING 18
FORWARD SECTION 23-15-697, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE 19
PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; TO REPEAL SECTION 23-15-659 20
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REMOVE THE ABSENTEE BALLOT ENVELOPE 21
REQUIREMENTS FOR IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTERS; TO AMEND SECTIONS 22
23-15-625, 23-15-627, 23-15-713, 23-15-715, 23-15-651, 23-15-719 23
AND 23-15-633, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; AND FOR 24
RELATED PURPOSES. 25
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 26
SECTION 1. Sections 1 through 6 of this act shall be known 27
and may be cited as the "In-Person Absentee Voting Act." 28
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SECTION 2. For purposes of this act, these words will have 29
the following meanings, unless their context clearly suggests 30
otherwise: 31
(a) "Election" means the period of time that is 32
available for casting a final vote. References to the time of an 33
election or the duration of the election shall encompass, unless 34
the context clearly indicates otherwise, the twenty-two-day period 35
that has been designed for in-person absentee voting. 36
(b) "Polling place" or "voting precinct" means any 37
place where a qualified elector votes during the in-person 38
absentee voting period and on the actual election day. 39
SECTION 3. (1) The in-person absentee voting period shall 40
begin twenty-two (22) days before the date of each primary, 41
general, runoff, special and municipal election for public office 42
and continue until 12:00 p.m. on the Saturday immediately 43
preceding the election day. Any qualified elector with an excuse 44
may vote during the times established for in-person absentee 45
voting in this chapter in the office of the registrar in which the 46
elector is registered to vote, in a government-owned or leased 47
building that houses the office of the registrar or in a 48
government-owned or leased building adjacent to the building that 49
houses the office of the registrar. No additional location for 50
in-person absentee voting is permitted. 51
(2) If the registrar determines that the office of the 52
registrar does not allow for sufficient space to conduct in-person 53
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absentee voting, the registrar may submit a written request to the 54
board of supervisors for an alternate office, meeting room or 55
court room to be made available to the registrar during the 56
in-person absentee voting period for the purpose of conducting 57
in-person voting, so long as the following conditions are met: 58
(a) The alternate office, meeting room or court room is 59
in a building owned or leased by a government entity; 60
(b) The building houses the office of the registrar or 61
is a building or annex adjacent to the building that houses the 62
office of the registrar; and 63
(c) The board of supervisors and the registrar have 64
requested and received a certification letter from the Secretary 65
of State verifying that the alternate office, meeting room or 66
court room is a valid and secure location for the purpose of 67
conducting in-person absentee voting. 68
(3) In-person absentee voting shall be conducted in the 69
office of the appropriate registrar, or alternate location, during 70
regular business hours. During the last full week preceding an 71
election, the registrar may extend the office hours to accommodate 72
in-person absentee voters to allow voting during the lunch period 73
and until 7:00 p.m. All registrar offices shall remain open from 74
8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. for the two (2) Saturdays immediately 75
preceding each election. 76
(4) Notice of the in-person absentee voting hours and 77
location shall be given by the officials in charge of the election 78
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not less than eight (8) days before the in-person absentee voting 79
period begins. Such notice shall be posted in three (3) public 80
places within the county or municipality, with one (1) place being 81
the county courthouse in a county election or city hall in a 82
municipal election. 83
SECTION 4. (1) A qualified elector with a valid excuse who 84
desires to vote during the in-person absentee voting period shall 85
appear at the office of the appropriate registrar in the county or 86
municipality in which the elector is a resident and registered to 87
vote and shall present an acceptable form of photo identification. 88
Upon verification of the proper location, identity and reason for 89
absentee voting, the elector shall be marked in the Statewide 90
Elections Management System as "VOTED IPA," with the reason for 91
voting absentee, sign the appropriate affidavit as printed by SEMS 92
and cast his or her vote in the same manner that such vote would 93
be cast on the day of the election. Except as otherwise provided 94
in Sections 1 through 6 of this act, the election laws that govern 95
the procedures for a person who appears to vote on the day of an 96
election shall apply when a person appears to vote during the 97
in-person absentee voting period. 98
(2) The registrar shall maintain the affidavit for each 99
in-person absentee vote in a secure location in accordance with 100
the rules promulgated by the Secretary of State. 101
(3) A valid excuse for excused voting may be one (1) of the 102
following: 103
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(a) (PRESIDENTIAL APPLICANT ONLY:) I am currently a 104
resident of Mississippi or have moved therefrom within thirty (30) 105
days of the coming presidential election. 106
(b) I am an enlisted or commissioned member, male or 107
female, of any component of the United States Armed Forces and am 108
a citizen of Mississippi, or spouse or dependent of such member. 109
(c) I am a member of the Merchant Marine or the 110
American Red Cross and am a citizen of Mississippi or spouse or 111
dependent of such member. 112
(d) I am a disabled war veteran who is a patient in any 113
hospital and am a citizen of Mississippi or spouse or dependent of 114
such veteran. 115
(e) I am a civilian attached to and serving outside of 116
the United States with any branch of the Armed Forces or with the 117
Merchant Marine or American Red Cross, and am a citizen of 118
Mississippi or spouse or dependent of such civilian. 119
(f) I am a citizen of Mississippi temporarily residing 120
outside the territorial limits of the United States and the 121
District of Columbia. 122
(g) I am a citizen of Mississippi temporarily residing 123
outside of the county of my residence during the in-person 124
absentee voting period and on election day. 125
(h) I am an emergency response provider, deployed due 126
to a state of emergency declared by the President of the United 127
States or the governor of any state within the United States 128
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during the time period provided by state law for in-person 129
absentee voting and on election day. 130
(i) I have a temporary or permanent physical 131
disability. 132
(j) I am sixty-five (65) years of age or older. 133
(k) I am the parent, spouse or dependent of a person 134
with a temporary or permanent physical disability who is 135
hospitalized outside his or her county of residence or more than 136
fifty (50) miles away from his or her residence, and I will be 137
with such person on election day. 138
(l) I am a member of the congressional delegation, or 139
spouse or dependent of a member of the congressional delegation. 140
(m) I am incarcerated in prison or jail in the county 141
where I am registered to vote and have not been convicted of a 142
disenfranchising crime. 143
(4) All votes cast during the in-person absentee voting 144
period shall be final. 145
(5) The votes cast during the in-person absentee voting 146
period shall be tabulated and announced simultaneously with all 147
other votes cast on election day after the polls close at 7:00 148
p.m., and not before that time. 149
SECTION 5. Each political party, candidate or any 150
representative of a political party or candidate pursuant to 151
Section 23-15-577, shall have the right to be present at the 152
office of the appropriate registrar when it is open for in-person 153
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absentee voting and to challenge the qualifications of any person 154
offering to vote in the same manner as provided by law for 155
challenging qualifications at the polling place on election day. 156
Each political party candidate or representative of a political 157
party or candidate is limited to one (1) person to be present at 158
the office of the appropriate registrar. 159
SECTION 6. (1) The Secretary of State shall promulgate 160
rules and regulations necessary to effectuate in-person absentee 161
voting. 162
(2) The Secretary of State shall promulgate specific 163
instructions for the security and integrity of the voting systems 164
during the in-person absentee voting period. All voting systems 165
used under this section shall be maintained and locked in a secure 166
location at the registrar's office, in a government-owned or 167
leased building that houses the office of the registrar or in a 168
government-owned or leased building adjacent to the building that 169
houses the office of the registrar, each day after the close of 170
in-person absentee voting hours. 171
SECTION 7. Section 23-15-625, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 172
amended as follows: 173
23-15-625. (1) The registrar shall be responsible for 174
providing applications for absentee mail-in voting as provided in 175
this section. At least sixty (60) days before any election in 176
which mail-in absentee voting is provided for by law, the 177
registrar shall provide a sufficient number of applications. In 178
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the event a special election is called and set at a date which 179
makes it impractical or impossible to prepare mail-in applications 180
for absent elector's ballot sixty (60) days before the election, 181
the registrar shall provide applications as soon as practicable 182
after the election is called. The registrar shall fill in the 183
date of the particular election on the application for which the 184
application will be used. * * * 185
(2) The registrar shall be authorized to disburse 186
applications for mail-in absentee ballots to any qualified elector 187
within the county where he or she serves. Any person who presents 188
to the registrar an oral or written request for * * * a mail-in 189
absentee ballot application for a voter entitled to vote absentee 190
by mail, other than the elector who seeks to vote * * * in-person 191
absentee * * *, shall, in the presence of the registrar, sign the 192
application and print on the application his or her name and 193
address and the name of the elector for whom the application is 194
being requested in the place provided for on the application for 195
that purpose. However, if for any reason such person is unable to 196
write the information required, then the registrar shall write the 197
information on a printed form which has been prescribed by the 198
Secretary of State. The form shall provide a place for such 199
person to place his or her mark after the form has been filled out 200
by the registrar. 201
(3) It shall be unlawful for any person to solicit mail-in 202
absentee ballot applications or mail-in absentee ballots for 203
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persons staying in any skilled nursing facility as defined in 204
Section 41-7-173, unless the person soliciting the mail-in 205
absentee ballot applications or mail-in absentee ballots is: 206
(a) A family member of the person staying in the 207
skilled nursing facility; or 208
(b) A person designated by the person for whom the 209
mail-in absentee ballot application or mail-in absentee ballot is 210
sought, the registrar or the deputy registrar. 211
As used in this subsection, "family member" means a spouse, 212
parent, grandparent, sibling, adult child, grandchild or legal 213
guardian. 214
(4) The registrar in the county wherein a voter is qualified 215
to vote upon receiving by mail the envelope containing the mail-in 216
absentee ballots shall keep an accurate list of all persons 217
preparing such ballots. The list shall be kept in a conspicuous 218
place accessible to the public near the entrance to the 219
registrar's office. The registrar shall also furnish to 220
each * * * receiving and returning manager a list of the names of 221
all persons in each respective precinct voting absentee by mail 222
and during in-person absentee voting to be posted in a conspicuous 223
place at the polling place for public notice. The application on 224
file with the registrar and the envelopes containing the mail-in 225
ballots that voters mailed to the registrar shall be kept by the 226
registrar in his or her office in a secure location. At the time 227
such boxes are delivered to the election commissioners or 228
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political party executive committee managers, the registrar shall 229
also turn over a list of all such persons who have voted during 230
in-person absentee voting and whose mailed ballots are in the 231
registrar's office. 232
(5) The registrar shall also be authorized to mail one (1) 233
application to any qualified elector of the county, who is 234
eligible to vote by mail-in absentee ballot, for use in a 235
particular election. 236
(6) The registrar shall process all applications for 237
absentee ballots by using the Statewide Election Management 238
System. The registrar shall account for all absentee ballots 239
delivered to and received by mail as well as those who voted 240
absentee in-person from qualified voters by processing such 241
ballots using the Statewide Election Management System. 242
SECTION 8. Section 23-15-627, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 243
amended as follows: 244
23-15-627. (1) Any elector described in Section * * * 245
23-15-715(b) may request an absentee ballot * * * and vote * * * 246
by absentee ballot by mail. Except as otherwise provided in 247
Section 23-15-625, mail-in absentee ballot applications shall be 248
furnished to a person only upon the oral or written request of the 249
elector who seeks to vote by mail-in absentee ballot; however, the 250
parent, child, spouse, sibling, legal guardian, those empowered 251
with a power of attorney for that elector's affairs or agent of 252
the elector, who is designated in writing and witnessed by a 253
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resident of this state who shall write his or her physical address 254
on such designation, may orally request * * * a mail-in absentee 255
ballot application on behalf of the elector. The written 256
designation shall be valid for one (1) year after the date of the 257
designation. * * * A mail-in absentee ballot application must 258
have the seal of the circuit or municipal clerk affixed to it and 259
be initialed by the registrar or his or her deputy in order to be 260
used to obtain * * * a mail-in absentee ballot. A reproduction 261
of * * * a mail-in absentee ballot application shall not be valid 262
unless it is a reproduction provided by the office of the 263
registrar of the jurisdiction in which the election is being held 264
and which contains the seal and initials required by this section. 265
(2) Such application shall be substantially in the following 266
form for applications mailed to absentee electors: 267
"OFFICIAL APPLICATION FOR MAIL-IN ABSENT ELECTOR'S BALLOT 268
I, _____, duly qualified and registered in the ___ Precinct 269
of the County of _____, and State of Mississippi, coming within 270
the purview of the definition 'ABSENT ELECTOR' will be absent from 271
the county of my residence on election day, or unable to vote in 272
person because (check appropriate reason): 273
( ) (PRESIDENTIAL APPLICANT ONLY:) I am currently a 274
resident of Mississippi or have moved therefrom within thirty (30) 275
days of the coming presidential election. 276
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( ) I am an enlisted or commissioned member, male or female, 277
of any component of the United States Armed Forces and am a 278
citizen of Mississippi, or spouse or dependent of such member. 279
( ) I am a member of the Merchant Marine or the American Red 280
Cross and am a citizen of Mississippi or spouse or dependent of 281
such member. 282
( ) I am a disabled war veteran who is a patient in any 283
hospital and am a citizen of Mississippi or spouse or dependent of 284
such veteran. 285
( ) I am a civilian attached to and serving outside of the 286
United States with any branch of the Armed Forces or with the 287
Merchant Marine or American Red Cross, and am a citizen of 288
Mississippi or spouse or dependent of such civilian. 289
( ) I am a citizen of Mississippi temporarily residing 290
outside the territorial limits of the United States and the 291
District of Columbia. 292
* * * 293
( ) I am a citizen of Mississippi temporarily residing 294
outside of the county of my residence during the in-person 295
absentee voting period and on election day. 296
( ) I am an emergency response provider, deployed due to a 297
state of emergency declared by the President of the United States 298
or the governor of any state within the United States during the 299
time period provided by state law for in-person absentee voting 300
and on election day. 301
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( ) I have a temporary or permanent physical disability. 302
( ) I am sixty-five (65) years of age or older. 303
( ) I am the parent, spouse or dependent of a person with a 304
temporary or permanent physical disability who is hospitalized 305
outside his or her county of residence or more than fifty (50) 306
miles away from his or her residence, and I will be with such 307
person on election day. 308
( ) I am a member of the congressional delegation, or spouse 309
or dependent of a member of the congressional delegation. 310
* * * 311
( ) I am incarcerated in prison or jail in the county where 312
I am registered to vote and have not been convicted of a 313
disenfranchising crime. 314
I hereby make application for an official ballot, or ballots, 315
to be voted by me at the election to be held in _____, on _____. 316
Mail 'Absent Elector's Ballot' to me at the following address 317
____________. 318
( ) I wish to receive an absentee ballot for the runoff 319
election ___________________________________________. 320
Notify me of a problem with my 'Absent Elector's Ballot' at 321
the following: 322
Phone number: _____________________________ 323
Email address: ____________________________ 324
Mailing address: __________________________ 325
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I realize that I can be fined up to Five Thousand Dollars 326
($5,000.00) and sentenced up to five (5) years in the Penitentiary 327
for making a false statement in this application and for selling 328
my vote and violating the Mississippi Absentee Voter Law. (This 329
sentence is to be in bold print.) 330
If you are temporarily or permanently disabled, you are not 331
required to have this application notarized or signed by an 332
official authorized to administer oaths for absentee balloting. 333
You are required to sign this application in the proper place and 334
have a person eighteen (18) years of age or older witness your 335
signature and sign this application in the proper place. 336
DO NOT SIGN WITHOUT READING. (This sentence is to be in bold 337
print.) 338
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 339
the ____ day of ______, 2___. 340
_________________________________ 341
(Signature of absent elector) 342
SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED before me this the ____ day of _____, 343
2___. 344
_________________________________ 345
(Official authorized to administer oaths 346
for absentee balloting.) 347
TO BE SIGNED BY WITNESS FOR VOTERS TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY 348
DISABLED: 349
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I HEREBY CERTIFY that this application for an absent 350
elector's ballot was signed by the above-named elector in my 351
presence and that I am at least eighteen (18) years of age, this 352
the _____ day of ____________________, 2___. 353
_________________________________ 354
(Signature of witness) 355
CERTIFICATE OF DELIVERY 356
I hereby certify that _________________ (print name of voter) 357
has requested that I, __________________ (print name of person 358
delivering application), deliver to the voter this absentee ballot 359
application. 360
__________________________________________ 361
(Signature of person delivering application) 362
__________________________________________ 363
(Address of person delivering application)" 364
* * * 365
SECTION 9. Section 23-15-713, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 366
amended as follows: 367
23-15-713. For the purpose of this subarticle, any duly 368
qualified elector may vote as provided in this subarticle if the 369
elector falls within at least one (1) of the following categories: 370
* * * 371
( * * *a) Any qualified elector who is required to be 372
away from his or her place of residence on any election day due to 373
his or her employment as an employee of a member of the 374
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Mississippi congressional delegation and the spouse and dependents 375
of such person if he or she shall be residing with such absentee 376
voter away from the county of the spouse's voting residence. 377
( * * *b) Any qualified elector who is away from his or 378
her county of residence on election day for any reason. 379
( * * *c) Any person who has a temporary or permanent 380
physical disability and who, because of such disability, is unable 381
to vote in person without substantial hardship to himself, herself 382
or others, or whose attendance at the voting place could 383
reasonably cause danger to himself, herself or others. 384
( * * *d) The parent, spouse or dependent of a person 385
with a temporary or permanent physical disability who is 386
hospitalized outside of his or her county of residence or more 387
than fifty (50) miles distant from his or her residence, if the 388
parent, spouse or dependent will be with such person on election 389
day. 390
( * * *e) Any person who is sixty-five (65) years of 391
age or older. 392
( * * *f) Any member of the Mississippi congressional 393
delegation absent from Mississippi on election day, and the spouse 394
and dependents of such member of the congressional delegation. 395
( * * *g) Any qualified elector who * * * is 396
temporarily residing outside of his or her county of residence 397
during the in-person absentee voting period and on election day 398
during the times when the polls will be open. 399
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(h) I anticipate being at work on election day during 400
the time when the polls will be open or I anticipate being on-call 401
on election day during the time when the polls will be open. 402
(i) An emergency response provider, deployed due to a 403
state of emergency declared by the President of the United States 404
or the governor of any state within the United States during the 405
time period provided by state law for in-person absentee voting 406
and on election day. 407
( * * *j) Any qualified elector who is incarcerated in 408
prison or jail in the county where he or she is registered to vote 409
and has not been convicted of a disenfranchising crime. 410
SECTION 10. Section 23-15-715, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 411
amended as follows: 412
23-15-715. Any elector described in Section 23-15-713 and 413
desiring * * * a mail-in absentee ballot as provided in this * * * 414
section may secure same if * * * within forty-five (45) days * * * 415
before any election, but not less than seven (7) days before the 416
election, such elector applies for a mail-in absentee ballot as 417
provided in the provisions of this act. * * * Within forty-five 418
(45) days next prior to any election, any elector who cannot 419
comply with paragraph (a) of this section by reason of temporarily 420
residing outside the county, or any person who has a temporary or 421
permanent physical disability, persons who are sixty-five (65) 422
years of age or older, any person who is incarcerated in prison or 423
jail in the county where the person is registered to vote and has 424
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not been convicted of a disenfranchising crime, or any person who 425
is the parent, spouse or dependent of a temporarily or permanently 426
physically disabled person who is hospitalized outside of his or 427
her county of residence or more than fifty (50) miles away from 428
his or her residence and such parent, spouse or dependent will be 429
with such person on election day, may make application for an 430
absentee ballot by mailing the appropriate application to the 431
registrar. Only persons temporarily residing out of the county of 432
their residence, persons having a temporary or permanent physical 433
disability, persons who are sixty-five (65) years of age or older, 434
any person who is incarcerated in prison or jail in the county 435
where the person is registered to vote and has not been convicted 436
of a disenfranchising crime, or any person who is the parent, 437
spouse or dependent of a temporarily or permanently physically 438
disabled person who is hospitalized outside of his or her county 439
of residence or more than fifty (50) miles away from his or her 440
residence, and such parent, spouse or dependent will be with such 441
person on election day, may obtain absentee ballots by mail under 442
the provisions of this subsection and as provided by Section 443
23-15-713. Applications of persons temporarily residing outside 444
the county shall be sworn to and subscribed before an official who 445
is authorized to administer oaths or other official authorized to 446
witness absentee balloting as provided in this chapter, said 447
application to be accompanied by such verifying affidavits as 448
required by this chapter. * * * All applications, other than those 449
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of persons having a temporary or permanent physical disability, 450
shall * * * be sworn to and subscribed before an official who is 451
authorized to administer oaths or another official authorized to 452
witness absentee balloting as provided in this chapter. The 453
applications of persons having a temporary or permanent physical 454
disability are not required to be accompanied by an affidavit but 455
shall be witnessed and signed by a person eighteen (18) years of 456
age or older. The registrar shall send to such absent voter a 457
proper absentee voter ballot within twenty-four (24) hours, or as 458
soon thereafter as the ballots are available, containing the names 459
of all candidates who qualify or the proposition to be voted on in 460
such election, and with such ballot there shall be sent an 461
official envelope containing upon it in printed form the recitals 462
and data hereinafter required. 463
* * * Except when the voter has requested a runoff ballot on 464
the initial absentee ballot application, upon request for a runoff 465
ballot pursuant to Section 23-15-719, the registrar shall mail 466
together the absentee ballot application and the absentee ballot 467
to the absent voter for the runoff election. 468
SECTION 11. Section 23-15-719, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 469
amended as follows: 470
23-15-719. (1) Except where the registrar has already 471
mailed a ballot with an application, upon receipt of a properly 472
completed application form by an elector qualified to vote 473
absentee as provided in this article, the registrar shall mail the 474
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absent voter an absentee ballot within one (1) business day, or as 475
soon as the absentee ballot is prepared and available, containing 476
the names of all the candidates and propositions, if any, to be 477
voted on in the election. The registrar shall include with the 478
absentee ballot an official envelope that complies with the 479
provisions of Section 23-15-635, as well as information to comply 480
with Section 23-15-641(3) related to the status of the elector's 481
ballot. 482
(2) * * * Ballots requested under Section 23-15-713(f) shall 483
be mailed to the voter's address outside of the county in which he 484
or she is registered. 485
* * * 486
SECTION 12. Section 23-15-639, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 487
amended as follows: 488
23-15-639. (1) The examination and counting of all absentee 489
ballots shall be conducted as follows: 490
(a) At the opening of the regular balloting and at the 491
opening of the polls, the resolution board established under 492
Section 23-15-523 and trained in the process of canvassing 493
absentee ballots shall first take the envelopes containing the 494
absentee ballots of such electors from the secure location at the 495
registrar's office, and the name, address and precinct inscribed 496
on each envelope shall be announced by the resolution board. 497
(b) * * * For mail-in absentee ballots * * *, the 498
signature on the application shall then be compared with the 499
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signature in the box on the back of the envelope. A portion of 500
the elector's signature extending outside of the box shall not be 501
grounds for rejecting that elector's ballot. If it corresponds 502
and the affidavit, if one (1) is required, and is sufficient and 503
the resolution board finds that the applicant is a registered and 504
qualified voter or otherwise qualified to vote, the envelope shall 505
then be opened and the ballot removed from the envelope, without 506
its being unfolded, or permitted to be unfolded or examined. 507
* * * 508
(c) Having observed and found the ballot to be regular 509
as far as can be observed from its official endorsement, the 510
resolution board shall deposit it in the ballot box with the other 511
ballots before counting any ballots and enter the voter's name in 512
the receipt book provided for that purpose. All absentee ballots 513
received prior to 7:00 p.m. the day * * * of the election shall be 514
counted in the registrar's office by the resolution board when the 515
polls close and then added to the votes cast in each 516
precinct. * * * 517
(2) The resolution board shall also take such action as may 518
be prescribed by the Secretary of State to ensure compliance with 519
the identification requirements of Section 23-15-563. 520
(3) The resolution board shall process the absentee ballots 521
using the procedure provided in subsection (1) of this section. 522
SECTION 13. Section 23-15-651, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 523
amended as follows: 524
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23-15-651. The results of the vote by in-person absentee 525
balloting shall be announced simultaneously with the vote cast on 526
election day * * *. 527
SECTION 14. Section 23-15-697, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 528
brought forward as follows: 529
23-15-697. When the absentee ballot has been voted and the 530
envelope sealed, signed and certified to as provided above, the 531
absentee voter shall mail the envelope containing the ballot to 532
the registrar. 533
Hand-delivery of ballots to a voter or from a voter shall be 534
prohibited, and the use of drop boxes or other mechanisms to 535
submit a completed absentee ballot other than by mail or common 536
carrier, shall be prohibited. 537
SECTION 15. Section 23-15-659, Mississippi Code of 1972, 538
which creates and discusses the requirements for absentee ballot 539
envelopes, is hereby repealed. 540
SECTION 16. Section 23-15-633, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 541
amended as follows: 542
23-15-633. * * * On any envelope where the elector's 543
signature and the signature of the attesting witness are required, 544
the signature lines and the signatures shall be in the boxes 545
across the flap of the envelope to ensure the integrity of the 546
ballot and the following shall be printed on the flap on the back 547
of the envelope in bold print and in a distinguishing color: 548
"YOUR VOTE WILL BE REJECTED AND NOT COUNTED IF THIS ENVELOPE IS 549
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ST: In-person absentee voting; to amend the
process of.
NOT SIGNED BY YOU AND AN ATTESTING WITNESS IN THE BOXES ACROSS THE 550
FLAP OF THIS ENVELOPE." 551
A portion of the elector's signature extending outside of the 552
box shall not be grounds for rejecting that elector's ballot. 553
* * * 554
SECTION 17. This act shall take effect and be in force from 555
and after January 1, 2027, and shall stand repealed on December 556
31, 2026. 557