Mississippi voters pushed to cure affidavit ballots before Nov. 10 deadline amid roll-maintenance chaos
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Thousands of Mississippi voters marked inactive must fix ballot problems by Nov. 10 if their votes are to count in a tight Senate race, after election rules, precinct changes, and shaky voter-roll data left many people trapped in bureaucratic limbo.
Mississippi election officials say voters whose ballots were flagged for technical problems have until Nov. 10 to correct them, a deadline that could shape the Senate contest between Democrat Scott Colom and Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith. About 8,000 to 12,000 affidavit ballots remain pending, according to state reports, underscoring how many voters were swept into the process by avoidable administrative failures.
Voters who cast an affidavit ballot because they lacked a photo ID must visit their local circuit clerk within five business days and present an acceptable form of identification or submit a religious-objection affidavit. Acceptable IDs include a state driver’s license or identification card, a U.S. passport, a tribal card, a student ID, or a state permit to carry a pistol or revolver.
The ACLU of Mississippi says many voters were marked “inactive” after a new vendor provided unreliable data for voter-roll maintenance, fueling a surge in affidavit ballots. Lydia Grizzell, advocacy director for the ACLU of Mississippi, urged anyone who submitted an affidavit ballot to follow up with the circuit clerk to confirm the ballot’s status and address any discrepancies during the curing window, a step many voters should not have been forced to navigate in the first place.
Lily Moens, policy director for Mississippi Votes, noted that changes to more than 100 precincts caused confusion, resulting in some voters casting affidavit ballots at the wrong precinct. Those ballots cannot be cured if the voter is registered elsewhere, leaving some people punished by shifting precinct lines and confusing election administration.
Voters can verify the status of their ballot on the secretary of state’s website. In addition, more than 120,000 Mississippians requested mail ballots, which also have a five-business-day grace period for processing as long as they are postmarked by Election Day, adding yet another layer of deadlines voters must overcome to make their voices count.