In-person and mail-in absentee ballots for the Nov. 3 general election are now available at each county’s respective circuit clerk’s office.
In the race for U.S. Senate, the ballot includes incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, Democrat Scott Colom and Independent Ty Pinkins.
For the 1st Congressional District, which includes Lowndes County, Clay County and parts of western Oktibbeha County, voters will choose between Republican and incumbent Trent Kelly, Democrat Cliff Johnson and Libertarian Johnny Baucom.
In the race for the 3rd Congressional District, which includes part of Oktibbeha County, incumbent Michael Guest is the Republican on the ballot, and he is challenged by Democrat Michael Chiaradio and Libertarian Erik Kiehle.
In the Oktibbeha County Court Judge race, incumbent Lee Ann Self Turner faces Marty Haug.
For the District 5 seat on the Lowndes County School Board, incumbent Jaqueline Gray will face Tresa Sanders.
In the race for an open seat on the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees, voters will choose between incumbent Cassandra Palmer and Maggie Cooks.
Absentee ballots can be cast in person at each county’s respective circuit clerk’s office.
In Clay County, a special election will decide who fills the District 2 supervisor seat left vacant by the passing of Daryl Thomas in March 2025. Independents Johnnie Collins, Eddie Holcombe, Bob Lummus and Kahla “Mrs. Daryl” Thomas will be on the ballot.
Several unopposed races will be on the ballot, including for election commissioner seats in Oktibbeha and Clay Counties, two seats on the West Point Consolidated School District Board of Trustees and judges for the 14th Chancery Court District and for the 16th Circuit Court District.
Lowndes County Circuit Clerk’s office is located at 505 Second Ave. N. in Columbus; Clay County Circuit Clerk at 26089 W. Main St. in West Point and Oktibbeha County Circuit Clerk at 108 W. Main St. in Starkville.
Due to House Bill 859, which passed during the last legislative session, in-person absentee ballots for the general election will be cast directly into voting machines rather than placed in an envelope and in the ballot box at the circuit clerk’s office. Those ballots will not be counted until election night.
In addition to normal business hours – from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays – circuit clerk’s offices in each county will open from 8 a.m. to noon on Oct. 24 and Oct. 31 to provide voters another chance to cast their ballot.
Voters wishing to vote absentee by mail must contact their clerk’s office to request an application. Once the application is complete, notarized and returned to the clerk’s office for verification, an official absentee ballot will be mailed within one business day or as soon as the ballots are ready.
The ballot will come with specific instructions for voting by mail and a return envelope. Voters must complete the ballot and the affidavit on the back of the envelope before mailing it back to the clerk’s office.
Absentee voting by mail is available to any voter temporarily residing outside their county of residence, voters who are disabled or who are the parent, spouse or dependent of a disabled person, voters who are hospitalized outside of their county and those age 65 or older. Any incarcerated individual who has not been convicted of a disenfranchising crime can also vote absentee by mail.
The last day to vote in-person absentee is Oct. 31, and absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the circuit clerk’s office within five business days.