Mississippi Code

Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-627 (2026)

Distribution of absentee ballot application by registrar; request for absentee ballot application; form of application

✓ current as of July 2026

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(1) Any elector described in Section 23-15-713 may request an absentee ballot application and vote in person at the office of the registrar in the county in which he or she resides. The registrar shall be responsible for furnishing an absentee ballot application form to any elector authorized to receive an absentee ballot. Such form shall be printed on the absentee ballot envelope as provided in Section 1 of this act. Except as otherwise provided in Section 23-15-625, absentee ballot applications shall be furnished to a person only upon the oral or written request of the elector who seeks to vote by absentee ballot; however, the parent, child, spouse, sibling, legal guardian, those empowered with a power of attorney for that elector's affairs or agent of the elector, who is designated in writing and witnessed by a resident of this state who shall write his or her physical address on such designation, may orally request an absentee ballot application on behalf of the elector. The written designation shall be valid for one (1) year after the date of the designation. An absentee ballot application must have the seal of the circuit or municipal clerk affixed to it and be initialed by the registrar or his or her deputy in order to be used to obtain an absentee ballot. A reproduction of an absentee ballot application shall not be valid unless it is a reproduction provided by the office of the registrar of the jurisdiction in which the election is being held and which contains the seal and initials required by this section.

(2) Such application shall be substantially in the following form for applications mailed to absentee electors:
"OFFICIAL APPLICATION FOR ABSENT ELECTOR'S BALLOT
I, _____, duly qualified and registered in the ___ Precinct of the County of _____, and State of Mississippi, coming within the purview of the definition 'ABSENT ELECTOR' will be absent from the county of my residence on election day, or unable to vote in person because (check appropriate reason):
( ) (PRESIDENTIAL APPLICANT ONLY:) I am currently a resident of Mississippi or have moved therefrom within thirty (30) days of the coming presidential election.
( ) I am an enlisted or commissioned member, male or female, of any component of the United States Armed Forces and am a citizen of Mississippi, or spouse or dependent of such member.
( ) I am a member of the Merchant Marine or the American Red Cross and am a citizen of Mississippi or spouse or dependent of such member.
( ) I am a disabled war veteran who is a patient in any hospital and am a citizen of Mississippi or spouse or dependent of such veteran.
( ) I am a civilian attached to and serving outside of the United States with any branch of the Armed Forces or with the Merchant Marine or American Red Cross, and am a citizen of Mississippi or spouse or dependent of such civilian.
( ) I am a citizen of Mississippi temporarily residing outside the territorial limits of the United States and the District of Columbia.
( ) I am a student, teacher or administrator at a college, university, junior or community college, high, junior high, elementary or grade school, whose studies or employment at such institution necessitates my absence from the county of my voting residence or spouse or dependent of such student, teacher or administrator who maintains a common domicile outside the county of my voting residence with such student, teacher or administrator.
( ) I will be outside the county on election day.
( ) I have a temporary or permanent physical disability .
( ) I am sixty-five (65) years of age or older.
( ) I am the parent, spouse or dependent of a person with a temporary or permanent physical disability who is hospitalized outside his or her county of residence or more than fifty (50) miles away from his or her residence, and I will be with such person on election day.
( ) I am a member of the congressional delegation, or spouse or dependent of a member of the congressional delegation.
( ) I am required to be at work on election day during the times when the polls will be open or I am required to be on-call on election day during the times when the polls will be open.
() I am incarcerated in prison or jail in the county where I am registered to vote and have not been convicted of a disenfranchising crime.
I hereby make application for an official ballot, or ballots, to be voted by me at the election to be held in _____, on _____.
Mail 'Absent Elector's Ballot' to me at the following address ____________.
( ) I wish to receive an absentee ballot for the runoff election ___________________________________________.
Notify me of a problem with my 'Absent Elector's Ballot' at the following:
Phone number: _____________________________
Email address: ____________________________
Mailing address: __________________________
I realize that I can be fined up to Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and sentenced up to five (5) years in the Penitentiary for making a false statement in this application and for selling my vote and violating the Mississippi Absentee Voter Law. (This sentence is to be in bold print.)
If you are temporarily or permanently disabled, you are not required to have this application notarized or signed by an official authorized to administer oaths for absentee balloting. You are required to sign this application in the proper place and have a person eighteen (18) years of age or older witness your signature and sign this application in the proper place.
DO NOT SIGN WITHOUT READING. (This sentence is to be in bold print.)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and seal this the ____ day of ______, 2___.
_________________________________
(Signature of absent elector)
SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED before me this the ____ day of _____, 2___.
_________________________________
(Official authorized to administer oaths for absentee balloting.)
TO BE SIGNED BY WITNESS FOR VOTERS TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY DISABLED:
I HEREBY CERTIFY that this application for an absent elector's ballot was signed by the above-named elector in my presence and that I am at least eighteen (18) years of age, this the _____ day of ____________________, 2___.
_________________________________
(Signature of witness)
CERTIFICATE OF DELIVERY
I hereby certify that _________________ (print name of voter) has requested that I, __________________ (print name of person delivering application), deliver to the voter this absentee ballot application.
__________________________________________
(Signature of person delivering application)
__________________________________________
(Address of person delivering application)"

(3) The application printed on the front of the absentee ballot envelope for absentee voters appearing before the registrar shall be substantially in the following form:
"OFFICIAL APPLICATION FOR ABSENT ELECTOR'S BALLOT
I, _____, duly qualified and registered in the ___ Precinct of the County of _____, and State of Mississippi, coming within the purview of the definition 'ABSENT ELECTOR' will be absent from the county of my residence on election day, or unable to vote in person because (check appropriate reason):
() (PRESIDENTIAL APPLICANT ONLY:) I am currently a resident of Mississippi or have moved therefrom within thirty (30) days of the coming presidential election.
() I am an enlisted or commissioned member, male or female, of any component of the United States Armed Forces and am a citizen of Mississippi, or spouse or dependent of such member.
() I am a member of the Merchant Marine or the American Red Cross and am a citizen of Mississippi or spouse or dependent of such member.
() I am a disabled war veteran who is a patient in any hospital and am a citizen of Mississippi or spouse or dependent of such veteran.
() I am a civilian attached to and serving outside of the United States with any branch of the Armed Forces or with the Merchant Marine or American Red Cross, and am a citizen of Mississippi or spouse or dependent of such civilian.
() I am a citizen of Mississippi temporarily residing outside the territorial limits of the United States and the District of Columbia.
() I am a student, teacher or administrator at a college, university, junior or community college, high, junior high, elementary or grade school, whose studies or employment at such institution necessitates my absence from the county of my voting residence or spouse or dependent of such student, teacher or administrator who maintains a common domicile outside the county of my voting residence with such student, teacher or administrator.
() I will be outside the county on election day.
() I have a temporary or permanent physical disability.
() I am sixty-five (65) years of age or older.
() I am the parent, spouse or dependent of a person with a temporary or permanent physical disability who is hospitalized outside his or her county of residence or more than fifty (50) miles away from his or her residence, and I will be with such person on election day.
() I am a member of the congressional delegation, or spouse or dependent of a member of the congressional delegation.
() I am required to be at work on election day during the times when the polls will be open or I am required to be on-call on election day during the times when the polls will be open.
() I am incarcerated in prison or jail in the county where I am registered to vote and have not been convicted of a disenfranchising crime.
I hereby make application for an official ballot, or ballots, to be voted by me at the election to be held in _____, on _____.
Notify me of a problem with my 'Absent Elector's Ballot' at the following:
Phone number: _____________________________
Email address: ____________________________
Mailing address: __________________________
I realize that I can be fined up to Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and sentenced up to five (5) years in the Penitentiary for making a false statement in this application and for selling my vote and violating the Mississippi Absentee Voter Law. (This sentence is to be in bold print.)"

Derived from 1972 Code § 23-9-407 [Codes, 1942, § 3203-403; Laws, 1972, ch. 490, § 403; repealed by Laws, 1986, ch. 495, § 341]; Laws, 1986, ch. 495, § 201; Laws, 1986, ch. 495, § 201; Laws, 1993, ch. 528, § 6; Laws, 1999, ch. 420, § 2; Laws, 2000, ch. 592, § 9; Laws, 2008, ch. 528, § 10, eff. 8/7/2008 (the date the United States Attorney General interposed no objection under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965).

Amended by Laws, 2024, ch. 536, HB 1406,§ 9, eff. 7/1/2024.

Amended by Laws, 2020, ch. 472, HB 1521,§ 5, eff. 7/8/2020.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 11 cases, 1993–2014 · leading case: Lewis v. Griffith, 664 So. 2d 177 (Miss. 1995).

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Lewis v. Griffith, 664 So. 2d 177 (Miss. 1995). · cites it 2× “There can be no doubt that the three individuals qualify for absentee ballots according to Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-627 *192 (1972), as amended.”

McFarland v. State, 707 So. 2d 166 (Miss. 1998). “An elector applying for an absentee ballot must complete the application form as provided in Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-627 (Supp. 1996), which application form requires the signature of the absent elector.”

Boyd v. Tishomingo Cty. Democratic Exec. Comm., 912 So. 2d 124 (Miss. 2005). “Miss.Code Ann. §§ 23-15-627, -629, -671 & -713 (Rev.”

True the Vote v. Hosemann, 43 F. Supp. 3d 693 (S.D. Miss. 2014). “Miss.Code § 23-15-627. Mississippi has three laws relating to absentee voting: (1) the Absentee Balloting Procedures Law, id.”

Brandon v. Mississippi Emp. Sec. Comm'n, 768 So. 2d 341 (Miss. Ct. App. 2000). · cites it 4× “Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-627 (Rev.1990). The purpose of an application for absentee ballot is simply to apply for an opportunity to receive an actual absentee ballot upon the determination by the registrar and Secretary of State that the person requesting such application is, in…”

Smith v. Hollins, 905 So. 2d 1267 (Miss. 2005). “Miss.Code Ann. § 23-15-627 (Rev.2001) requires only that the application "have the seal of the circuit or municipal clerk affixed to it and be initialed by the registrar or his deputy.”

Jefferson Davis Cnty. Democratic Exec. Comm. v. Davies, 912 So. 2d 837 (Miss. 2005). · cites it 2× “Violation of Miss.Code Ann. §§ 23-15-627 &-719' . Violation of Miss.”

Jefferson Davis Cty. Demo. Exicutive Comm. v. Davies, 912 So. 2d 837 (Miss. 2005). · cites it 2× “[7] Violation of Miss.Code Ann. §§ 23-15-627 & -719. [8] Violation of Miss.”

Jefferson Davis Cnty. Democratic Exec. v. John William Davies (Miss. 2003). · cites it 2× “7 Violation of Miss. Code Ann. §§ 23-15-627 & -719. 8 Violation of Miss.”

Jerry Boyd v. Glenn Whitlock (Miss. 2003). “Miss. Code Ann. §§ 23-15-627 , -629, -671 & -713 (Rev.”

Calvin McFarland v. State of Mississippi (Miss. 1993). “An elector applying for an absentee ballot must complete the application form as provided in Miss. Code Ann. § 23-15-627 (Supp. 1996), which application form requires the signature of the absent elector.”

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