Absentee balloting begins; new voters register by July 8
The deadline to register to vote for the upcoming primary elections for county and state offices is 5 p.m. July 8.
Marion County Circuit Clerk Janette Nolan said new voters who haven’t been registered before can print out an application online and mail it to her office or come by her office to register.
Existing voters who need to update their addresses can visit the Y’all Vote website hosted by the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office or go to the circuit clerk’s office in person.
Nolan said her office has visited all four of the high schools in the county to help students who will be 18 by November to register to vote.
“Even if they’re 17 in August but will be 18 in November, they can vote in the primary,” Nolan said.
The Republican and Democratic primaries are coming up Aug. 6 with potential runoffs on Aug. 27.
Absentee balloting began this week and will continue through noon on Aug. 3. The Circuit Clerk’s Office will be open the two Saturdays preceding the primary for absentee voting.
Anyone who is temporarily or permanently disabled can call the clerk’s office at 736-8246 and have a ballot mailed to them. College students can also request a mailed ballot, although they will need to have it notarized.
Others eligible for absentee balloting include people 65 and older, those will be out of town on Election Day and those working during the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. polling hours.
Anyone not sure of where they vote can visit the polling place locator on the Y’all Vote website.
Nolan reminded voters that there is no registration by party in Mississippi. Voters can choose which primary to participate in at the polling place. Marion County also uses electronic polling books so they can go to any table to vote at most of the polling places.
Nolan said she also received a $34,000 grant, which required no county match, for cyber security, polling place improvements and voter equipment maintenance. The cyber security element helps protect voter information. The clerk’s office is notified of any attempt to hack into the system, and the staff in all the county offices have been trained about how to spot suspicious emails or calls.
“I just want the voters to know we’re taking it seriously, and we’re trying to do it to the most benefit of the county,” Nolan said.
