Oddusee Civic Guides · Verified August 2026
Three things that make voting in Jackson different: (1) Mississippi has no online registration — register by mail or in person 30 days ahead. (2) There’s no early voting; if you can’t make Election Day, in-person absentee at the Circuit Clerk’s office (with an excuse — being 65+ counts) is the main path. (3) Mississippi uses runoffs even in general elections — if nobody wins a majority in November, round two is December 1.
📍 Get the registration form | Check your status | Find your polling place
Key dates — November 3, 2026 General
- Registration deadline: Monday, October 5, 2026 (postmark counts).
- In-person absentee: late September – Saturday, October 31 at the Hinds County Circuit Clerk (407 E Pascagoula St), with Saturday-morning hours October 24 & 31.
- Mail absentee: postmarked by November 3, received within 5 business days.
- Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 7 AM – 7 PM. General runoff if needed: December 1.
Dates can change — always confirm with the Mississippi Secretary of State.
Can I vote?
You can register if you’re a U.S. citizen, have lived in Mississippi and Jackson 30 days, and will be 18 by the general election.
- Felony conviction? Check the list — most felonies don’t disqualify. Only convictions on Mississippi’s specific list (~two dozen crimes like murder, robbery, theft, forgery, embezzlement) remove your vote — most drug offenses aren’t on it, and if your crime isn’t listed you never lost your right. If it is listed, restoration takes an individual legislative suffrage bill, a governor’s order, or a pardon — the Mississippi Center for Justice helps for free.
The ID you need
Photo ID is required: MS driver’s license or state ID, free MS Voter ID card, passport, military ID, tribal ID, government or government-employee ID, MS firearms license, or MS college student ID. No ID? Vote an affidavit ballot and show ID (or get the free voter ID card) at the Circuit Clerk within 5 business days. The free Voter ID card is issued at the Circuit Clerk’s office — 407 E Pascagoula St, 601-968-6628 — with almost any document bearing your name.
Primary & party
Mississippi has open primaries — no party registration; pick a ballot at the polls (stick with that party for any runoff). The 2026 primary was March 10 (runoff April 7).
Where to vote
You vote at your assigned precinct — Hinds County has 108, and several Jackson precincts moved permanently in late 2025. Jackson locations include Wells Memorial UMC (2019 Bailey Ave), Lanier High (833 W Maple St), the JSU Athletic & Assembly Center (1400 J.R. Lynch St), Fire Station 20 (4445 Medgar Evers Blvd), Blackburn Middle (1311 W Pearl St), College Hill Baptist (1600 Florence Ave — new), Pecan Park Elementary (415 Claiborne Ave — new), and Midtown Public Charter School (4959 I-55 N Frontage Rd — new). Voters who can’t enter the building can ask about voting at their vehicle, and anyone needing assistance may bring a helper of their choice. Questions: Hinds County Election Commission, 601-968-6555.
Polling place locator | Y’all Vote — sample ballots
The offices Jacksonians elect
Current officeholders as of August 2026 (verified). Jackson elected its city government in June 2025 (next 2029); Hinds County runs again in 2027; statewide offices and the Legislature in 2027. On the Nov 2026 ballot: U.S. Senate, U.S. House, the Hinds DA special election, and circuit/chancery judges.
City government (next election 2029)
- Mayor: John Horhn (took office July 2025)
- City Council: W1 Ashby Foote; W2 Tina Clay; W3 Kenneth Stokes; W4 Brian Grizzell (President); W5 Vernon Hartley (VP); W6 Lashia Brown-Thomas; W7 Kevin Parkinson
Hinds County (next regular election 2027)
- District Attorney: Brad McCullouch (interim — special election on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot after Jody Owens resigned)
- Supervisors: D1 Robert Graham (President); D2 Tony Smith; D3 Deborah Butler-Dixon; D4 Wanda Evers; D5 Bobby McGowan
- Sheriff: Tyree D. Jones
- Circuit Clerk (voter registration): Zack Wallace; Chancery Clerk: Eddie Jean Carr
- Tax Assessor: Charles Stokes; Tax Collector: Eddie Fair; Coroner: Jeramiah Howard (won Dec 2025 special); County Attorney: Gerald Mumford
- Justice Court judges: Don Palmer, Tabitha Britton Porter, Frank Sutton, Kenny Lewis, Pearlie Brown Owens; Constables: Jerry Moore, John Brown, Lawrence Funchess, Leon Seals, Beverly Green
- Election Commissioners: Kidada Brown, Bobbie Graves, Jermal Clark, Yvonne Horton (Chair), Felicia McClinton
Courts (nonpartisan; on the Nov 2026 ballot, all unopposed)
- Circuit (7th District): Winston Kidd (Senior), E. Faye Peterson, Adrienne Wooten, Debra Gibbs, Damon Stevenson
- Chancery: J. Dewayne Thomas, Tiffany Grove, Tametrice Hodges-Linzey, Crystal Wise Martin
- County Court: Carlyn McGee Hicks, Yemi Kings, Johnnie McDaniels
State (next election Nov 2027)
- Governor: Tate Reeves (term-limited); Lt. Gov: Delbert Hosemann; SOS: Michael Watson; AG: Lynn Fitch; Treasurer: David McRae; Auditor: Shad White; Agriculture: Andy Gipson; Insurance: Mike Chaney
- MS Senate (Jackson/Hinds): SD25 Walter Michel (R); SD26 Kamesha Mumford (won Dec 2025 special); SD27 Hillman Frazier; SD28 Sollie Norwood; SD29 David Blount; SD37 Albert Butler
- MS House (Jackson/Hinds): HD56 Clay Mansell (R); HD63 Stephanie Foster; HD64 Shanda Yates (I); HD65 Christopher Bell; HD66 Fabian Nelson; HD67 Earle Banks; HD68 Zakiya Summers; HD69 Tamarra Butler-Washington; HD70 Bo Brown; HD71 Ronnie Crudup Jr.; HD72 Justis Gibbs; HD76 Gregory Holloway Sr.
Federal
- U.S. House: MS-2 Bennie Thompson (since 1993); part of the metro is MS-3, Michael Guest — both on the 2026 ballot
- U.S. Senate: Cindy Hyde-Smith’s seat is ON the Nov 2026 ballot — vs. Democrat Scott Colom and independent Ty Pinkins (Dec 1 runoff if no majority). Roger Wicker is next up in 2030.
Learn more
- MS Secretary of State — Y’all Vote — official info; Elections Answerline 1-800-829-6786.
- Mississippi Votes — registration drives and voter education.
- Mississippi Center for Justice — free voting-rights and restoration help.
- VoteRiders — free help getting a voter ID.
Always confirm dates and locations with the MS SOS and Hinds County Election Commission (601-968-6555) — rules and deadlines can change between elections.