Absentee voting is a difficult process in Mississippi and will be more difficult for the upcoming runoff elections with three state holidays between now and Nov. 27, state Sen. David Blount said Friday. “There is a very tight window to vote absentee,” said Blount, who spoke about the issue from the Hinds County Courthouse with Circuit Clerk Zack Wallace. Blount said state offices will be closed Monday for Veterans Day and Nov. 22 for Thanksgiving. Most will also be closed Nov. 23. “We believe the more people who vote the better the government will be,” Blount said. “We encourage everyone to go vote in these important runoff elections.” The absentee voting process can’t begin for the runoffs until results from the Nov. 6 general election are certified. The deadline to certify results is Nov. 16.
The main runoff election in Mississippi is the special Senate election between appointed U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and challenger Mike Espy, the top two finishers in the Nov. 6 election. Also, there will be some judicial election runoffs on the ballot.
Wallace encouraged people to get out and vote. He said if they won’t be in Hinds County for the runoff elections, he urges them to come by the clerk’s office in Jackson or Raymond and vote absentee as soon as the results are certified.
Full Article: State holidays could complicate absentee voting in Mississippi.