Voting is the highest responsibility we have as Americans. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Yes, student voting matters. We must ensure that our fellow classmates are registered voters.
MISSISSIPPI REGISTRATION DEADLINES AND ELECTION DATES:
Voter Registration Deadline: 30 days before Election Day
Registration Deadline for 2016 Presidential Election: October 8, 2016
Election Day: November 8, 2016
VOTER ELIGIBILITY IN MISSISSIPPI
To participate in Mississippi elections, you must register to vote through the Mississippi Secretary of State (SOS), at a county circuit clerk office, or other state and federal government agencies.
You must meet the following requirements to qualify for voter registration in Mississippi:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Be at least 18 years old by the next general election
- Be a resident of Mississippi and your county for at least 30 days
- Not declared mentally incompetent by a court
- Not convicted of a felony
MISSISSIPPI REGISTRATION DEADLINES AND ELECTION DATES:
Voter Registration Deadline: 30 days before Election Day
Registration Deadline for 2016 Presidential Election: October 8, 2016
Election Day: November 8, 2016
REGISTER AT SCHOOL OR HOME
All college students in Mississippi, including in-state and out-of-state, are allowed to register to vote in the state of Mississippi.
Students can register to vote at their school address or permanent address:
School address:
Mississippi Valley State University
14000 Highway 82 West, (include your box number)
Itta Bena, MS 38941
Permanent address:
Students may choose to register or remain registered at a permanent address in Mississippi or outside the state. In this case, students may need to vote by absentee ballot.
• You can only be registered and vote in one location.
• You may register to vote either in person or by mail. Voter registration applications are available here: #RegistertoVote
• To register in person in Mississippi, visit your county election office.
• To register in your home state, visit your state board of elections.
ACCEPTABLE MISSISSIPPI VOTER ID
Beginning with the June 3, 2014, Primary Election, all Mississippians voting at the polls will be required to show a photo ID card. Also, individuals voting in person by absentee ballot in the Circuit Clerk's office prior to the June 3, 2014, Primary Election Day will be required to show a photo ID.
Any one of the following types of photo IDs may be used on Election Day:
- A driver's license
- A photo ID card issued by a branch, department, or entity of the State of Mississippi
- A United States passport
- A government employee ID card
- A firearms license
- A student photo ID issued by an accredited Mississippi university, college, or community/junior college
- A United States military ID
- A tribal photo ID
- A Mississippi Voter Identification Card
- Any other photo ID issued by any branch, department, agency or entity of the United States government or any State government
Where do I vote?
Mississippi Valley State University polling location is the William A. Butts Social Science Building. The poll is open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. If you have additional questions, please contact your Circuit Clerk or the Elections Hotline at 1.800.829.6786
VOTING BY ABSENTEE BALLOT
Voters registered in Mississippi may vote by absentee ballot if they will be away from their county of residence on Election Day for any reason, including attending school in a different county or state.
Applications for absentee ballots will be available September 24 and must be return by mail, fax, or email by 7 p.m. on Election Day, November 8. For more information on absentee voting, visit: http://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/pages/absentee-voting.aspx. Mississippi voter registration forms, polling place locations, and more information can be found at www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting/Pages/default.aspx.