AG Hood Warns Against Misleading Voter Registration Info

Adam Lynch

Attorney General Jim Hood has tips on how to make sure you're registered to vote.

[Verbatim from AG Hood] Jackson, MS -- Phone calls to the Attorney General’s Office suggest some mis-information may be circulating about the upcoming election and designated deadlines. Attorney General Jim Hood would like to clarify what Mississippi law mandates for Mississippi voters. Per state statute, the deadline for voter registration in Mississippi is Saturday, October 4 at NOON. “The Secretary of State’s Office has done a good job in letting Mississippians know the deadline to register to vote is October 4 for those counties that will be open on that day,” said Attorney General Hood. “However, it is important to note, that the law specifically says NOON on October 4. Calls in to our office suggest that some people may think they have the entire day, when in fact they do not.”

Also, because the deadline falls on a Saturday, many counties in Mississippi have obtained permission from the U.S. Department of Justice to be closed that day. Therefore, in those counties, the actual deadline to register to vote in their county circuit clerk’s offices will be close of business on Friday, October 3.

“The only way to be sure is for you to call the circuit clerk for the county in which you live and ask,” said Attorney General Jim Hood.

Another important deadline for Mississippi voters to make note of is Sunday, October 5. That is the date that mail-in voter registration forms must be postmarked no later than to be accepted for the general election. Please note that post offices are not typically open on Sundays so applicants should mail or deliver applications no later than Friday, October 3 to avoid missing this deadline.

Voter Registration Tip
“When you fill out the voter registration application, it is important to include your PHYSICAL address, not just a P.O. Box,” said Attorney General Hood. “The circuit clerk MUST have a physical address so you can be placed in the proper voting precinct. If you only include a P.O. Box, the clerk will not be able to register you to vote.”

No Such Thing as Early Voting in Mississippi
It has been brought to the attention of the Attorney General’s Office that there is a mailout circulating the state that lists October 21st as the date early voting begins in Mississippi.

“There is no such thing as early voting in Mississippi,” said Attorney General Jim Hood. “I imagine the group that paid for this simply re-cycled information relative to another state. Options to vote for Mississippians include doing so by absentee ballot (for those voters eligible to vote absentee) or by going to the polls on November 4.

 
posted by ladd on 10/01/08 at 03:16 PM. [printer-friendly version]