Mississippi voting deadlines for the November 3, 2026 election
Mississippi voter registration closes Oct 5 for the November 3, 2026 election. Every deadline — registration, mail ballot and early voting — with the official source for each.
Voter registration deadline (by mail and in person)
Mailed registration applications must be postmarked by Monday, Oct 5 (30th day before falls on Sunday, so it moves to Monday). Register in person at your Circuit Clerk's or Municipal Clerk's office by Monday, Oct 5.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Mail ballot return deadline
Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov 3 and received by the Circuit Clerk by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov 10.
How voting works in Mississippi
Absentee voting requires an excuse; there is no online registration for new voters (online tools only update an existing registration's name/address). The post-Election-Day receipt window for mailed ballots was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in Watson v. RNC (June 29, 2026) and appears in the SOS calendar last revised 9/8/2026. Official quotes: in-person absentee 'Earliest day to vote by an absentee ballot in the Circuit Clerk's Office in the General Election' (Sept 21) and 'In-Person Absentee Voting Deadline, 12:00 p.m.' (Oct 31). Polls are open 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
What we could not confirm
We publish a gap rather than a guess. These points were not settled by an official source:
No official deadline to request a mailed absentee ballot was found; voters should apply well in advance (application must be notarized unless disabled).
Mail voting is limited to certain groups (65+, disability, temporarily outside county, etc.); others must vote absentee in person with an excuse.
Official sources disagree on the first day of in-person absentee voting: the SOS calendar says Sept 21, the SOS absentee page says Sept 19.
Where these came from
Every date above was read from the Mississippi election office's own published material, last checked Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Confirm anything you are relying on with your local election authority.
5th Voter Registration Deadline (General): Applicants who register in-person in the Circuit Clerk's office or Municipal Clerk's office today, and those who mail registration applications post-marked no later than today are eligible to vote in the General Election.
You must register to vote 30 days before the date of the election. If the 30th day falls on a Sunday or legal holiday, then both the postmark and in-person deadline is extended to the next regular business day.