Jackson Free Press

If every college student in the state of Mississippi voted this year, you would probably be the most powerful voting bloc in the state. Here's what you need to know, courtesy of Mississippi Secretary of State Eric Clark.

I. REGISTERING TO VOTE

First, you must be registered to vote. Friday, October 1, is the last day to register to vote in the general election on Nov. 2, 2004. To register to vote, you must be 18 years of age by the date of the election. Many students who are away at school have registered in the county where their parents live and vote by absentee ballot. Others choose to register in the county where they attend school, provided they have lived there 30 days before registering. You can register to vote at your county circuit clerk's office, local city hall or by using a mail-in voter registration form (available on the Secretary of State's Web site at http://www.sos.state.ms.us; this is also linked from the front page of jacksonfreepress.com).

II. TWO WAYS TO VOTE: At the polls or absentee.

Once you've registered, you're eligible to vote. You may vote in one of two ways: at the polling place on Election Day or via absentee ballot. If you're registered in a county other than where you attend college, you'll have to drive to the county or parish where you are registered. If you are registered in the county where you attend school, you vote at your assigned polling place in that county.

If you are registered and don't know where to go to vote, call your county circuit clerk's office. (See the JFP PoliticsBlog for numbers to Mississippi circuit clerks' offices.) If you are registered to vote in a county or parish other than where you attend college and can't return on Election Day, you can vote by absentee ballot.

If you're a first-time voter, you have to vote in person. If you can't make it to your precinct on election day, though, you can vote absentee in person in the circuit clerk's office before Election Day. Simply go to the circuit clerk's office in the county or parish in which you are registered, and tell them you would like to vote absentee in the clerk's office. They'll let you vote an absentee ballot right then and there.

You can also vote absentee through the mail using two steps: requesting an absentee ballot and mailing it in. To request an absentee ballot, contact the circuit clerk in the county where you are registered. The clerk's office will send you an application for an absentee ballot. When you receive it, fill it out and mail it in. Soon thereafter, you will receive an absentee ballot listing all the candidates for office. Mark your choices and return the ballot to the circuit clerk's office. Your ballot must be received by the circuit clerk before Election Day.

Be sure to allow at least three weeks for the mailed absentee ballot process. Remember, you need to request an application, receive and return it, then receive a ballot and return it in order to vote.

WHAT'S ON THE BALLOT?

Offices up for election in Mississippi this year include: president, U.S. representative (all four seats), state supreme court (four seats), county election commissioner (all), and some school board members. Some counties will hold special elections to fill vacancies. Locally, Jackson voters will also vote on a restaurant tax to fund the Convention Center and a gay marriage/civil unions initiative. All candidates that will appear on Jackson ballots, as well as issue breakdowns, are now available on the 2004 JFP PoliticsBlog at jacksonfreepress.com/politics.

For help with any Mississippi elections question, please contact the Secretary of State's Office at 359-6357 or 800-829-6786, or your county circuit clerk (in Hinds County, call 968-6628).

This info was adapted from a hand-out provided by the Mississippi Secretary of State's office. The headlines are ours.