[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We want to make sure you’re ballot ready, so we’ve put together this voter guide to help you plan your vote in Mississippi.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][grve_title title=”Mississippi Voter Information Guide”][vc_tta_accordion][vc_tta_section title=”Election Protection” tab_id=”1604294368778-a00f102c-a958″][vc_column_text]The right to vote, in conjunction with free and equal access to the polls, is the keystone of a true democracy. Understanding this, for nearly a decade the Mississippi State Conference NAACP to help safeguard poll access to all eligible Mississippians. Election Protection has taken up the task of educating voters on the election process as well as anticipating, identifying, and responding to voter irregularities as they arise on Election Day.

Election Protection seeks to diffuse or resolve polling issues that would result in difficulties or disenfranchisement by documenting and tracking issues that arise as well as connecting would-be voters with voting rights experts on Election Day.[/vc_column_text][grve_single_image image_mode=”landscape-wide” image=”13548″][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Who can register to vote in Mississippi?” tab_id=”1604060777686-0c02fd38-5dd3″][vc_column_text]To register in Mississippi you must:

• be a citizen of the United States
• have lived in Mississippi and in your county (and city, if applicable) 30 days before the election in which you want to vote
• be 18 years old by the time of the general election in which you want to vote
• not have been convicted in a Mississippi court of voter fraud, arson, armed robbery, bigamy, bribery, carjacking, embezzlement, extortion, felony bad check, felony shoplifting, forgery, larceny, murder, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, rape, receiving stolen property, robbery, statutory rape, theft, timber larceny, larceny under lease or rental agreement, or unlawful taking of motor vehicle (unless having been pardoned, had rights of citizenship restored by the Governor or had suffrage restored by the Legislature)
• not have been declared mentally incompetent by a court

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Source: The Office of the Secretary of State[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”How to vote in Mississippi?” tab_id=”1604060777686-26881e40-f655″][grve_title title=”Vote absentee”][vc_column_text]Absentee Ballots will be available no later than September 21, 2020. Circuit Clerk’s Offices are open during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday). Circuit Clerk’s Offices will also open from 8 a.m.- noon on October 24 and 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on October 31. To vote in-person absentee, please follow the steps below.

• Visit your County Circuit Clerk’s Office to absentee vote.
• Your County Circuit Clerk (or Deputy Circuit Clerk) will confirm you are a registered voter in the county by checking the Statewide Elections Management System, confirm your address, and check your photo ID. You will also be asked your reason for absentee voting.
• If entitled to absentee vote, the Clerk will hand you an Official Application for Absentee Elector’s Ballot. The application will ask you to check which absentee excuse you are applying for. a. The bottom part of the application is designated for the witness. The Clerk or Deputy Clerk will be the witness and make sure each part of the application is properly completed.
• Once you submit your Official Application for Absentee Elector’s Ballot to your Clerk, your Clerk will provide your official absentee ballot and ballot envelope.
• Complete your absentee ballot in secret, and place it in an absentee ballot envelope provided by the Clerk. You will sign the back of the absentee ballot envelope across the flap of the envelope, and the Clerk or Deputy Clerk will also sign across the flap of the envelope as the witness.
• Deposit your absentee ballot envelope containing your voted ballot into a sealed box

[/vc_column_text][grve_title title=”Vote by mail” heading_tag=”h2″][vc_column_text]

• Contact your local election office to request a ballot by mail. You can also request a ballot by email. We encourage you to request and return ballots as early as possible.
• Fill out the application completely.
• When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it.
• Your ballot must be received by Tuesday, November 3, 2020, by 7:00 PM and received no later than Tuesday, November 10, 2020, by 5:00 p.m.

[/vc_column_text][grve_title title=”Military and Overseas Voters”][vc_column_text]Active-duty military, their families, and overseas citizens can register to vote and request their absentee ballot using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). The FPCA process is done by mail, but your state may offer other options to request and return ballots. Please contact your election official for more information about delivery and return methods, including email, fax, and state online portals. To follow the FPCA process:

1. Fill out the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), or download a copy. Your election official may have questions, so please provide an email address or phone number where they can reach you.
2. Send the application to your election official.
3. It is never too early to submit an FPCA! Please do so as soon as possible. You can look up recommended mailing dates by country and region.
4. Please fill out and send back your ballot as soon as you receive it. Following are recommended return dates to make sure your ballot arrives at your election office on time:
   • 35 days before the election – On a ship at sea: September 28, 2020
   • 30 days before the election – Outside of the US: October 2, 2020
   • 11 days before the election – Stateside: October 23, 2020
5. States begin mailing absentee ballots at least 45 days before Election Day. If you haven’t received your ballot by 30 days before Election Day, contact your local election office.

If after submitting your FPCA, your ballot does not arrive, contact your election official first. Then:

• You can still vote using the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). Print, sign and mail your FWAB to your local election office.
• If you mail an FWAB and then receive your regular absentee ballot, you should complete and mail your absentee ballot also. Election officials will ensure that only one ballot is counted.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program – FVAP.gov offers additional information on military and overseas voting in Mississippi. You can also call 1-800-438-VOTE or email vote@fvap.gov.[/vc_column_text][grve_title title=”Vote In-Person”][vc_column_text]Election Day is November 3rd. Polling places open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Click here to find your polling place.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Other Issues/Information” tab_id=”1604295730419-e0d4543e-6db7″][vc_column_text]

• Paraphernalia. Voters are prohibited from wearing candidate paraphernalia. If turned away from the polls, for this reason, voters should cover with jacket, turn shirt inside out, etc., and proceed with voting.
• Name not on voter list. Voter may vote by affidavit.
• Trouble with voting machines. Voter may receive assistance by statute by reason of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write. Assistance may be provided by a person of the voter’s choice other than the voter’s employer, employer’s agent, or agent of voter’s union. Other categories of voters may receive instructions from poll workers before entering the voting booth. If an individual needs instruction after entering the booth, two election officials will enter the polling booth, instruct the voter, leave the booth, and allow the voter to cast a ballot.

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Source: The Office of the Secretary of State[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_accordion][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]