Responsive Gov’s Grade TL;DR

The Mississippi State Legislature passed a few commonsense, pro-voter reforms this year. However, it packaged those positive changes with an anti-voter provision, barring voters from returning their mail ballot in person to the clerk’s office and prohibiting drop boxes. Therefore, Mississippi received a C on this year’s progress report.

Looking Back

Where Mississippi Started at the Beginning of 2024

• Automatic Voter Registration: No
• Online Voter Registration: No
• Same-Day Registration: No
• Restoration of Rights: Some Lifetime Disenfranchisement
• Vote by Mail: Excuse-Only
• Electronic Registration Information Center Member: No
• Early Voting Opportunities: No
• ID Requirements: Strict Photo ID

Relying on the Cost of Voting Index for Mississippi as of 2024, we considered the state a bottom tier state for pre-existing voting policy and compared its 2024 activity against other bottom tier states.

How Our Tier Compares

• COVI (2024): 50th
• EPI Score (2022): 51st
• CLC State Scorecard (2022): 4/10
• MAP Democracy Rating (2024): LOW

2024: This Past Year

Legislative Action

This session, the Legislature continued to pass bills designed to make it more difficult for voters to return mail ballots while also slightly improving access to mail ballots.

• SB 2576 removes the requirement that a voter’s ID must be “current” to be accepted as valid voter ID.
• SB 2425 clarifies definitions around who is allowed to transmit voter’s ballots as the result of issues raised by voting rights advocates in a lawsuit over SB 2358 that was enacted last year.
• HB 1406 allows qualified incarcerated individuals to vote by mail and clarifies that mail ballot voters who choose to cast their ballot in person at their local registrar’s office and who present ID will no longer be subject to signature match requirements. The bill also revises the mail ballot application to make it easier to notify voters of any issues. However, the bill also includes anti-voter measures, requiring mail ballots to be returned by mail only and prohibiting drop boxes or in-person return to the clerk’s office.

Executive Action