Mississippians who fail to vote in at least one local, state, or federal election over a two-year period could be listed as inactive and only able to vote by affidavit ballot if state lawmakers approve and Gov. Tate Reeves signs House Bill 1310 into law. It is headed to conference after the House on Tuesday disagreed with the Senate’s modifications.
After failing to vote at any time across or between two federal elections (meaning a presidential election and a congressional midterm), local election officials would send voters a notice. Four years after receiving a notice, authorities would purge an individual’s name from the voter rolls. To prevent this purge, the individual would have to respond to the notice within four years; vote in any election during those years (including county, municipal, state, or federal elections); be an active or reserve military personnel; or respond to a jury-duty call.
The bill also includes provisions for removing noncitizens from the electoral roll. By Jan. 1, 2025, the secretary of state would compare the state’s voter roll with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety’s driver’s license database to flag potential noncitizens who must provide proof of citizenship within 30 days.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi opposes the bill.
“As one of the few states with neither online voter registration nor no-excuse early voting, Mississippi consistently ranks amongst the most difficult states to vote in the nation,” the organization said in a tweet thread on March 10. “This harmful bill will continue that legacy by further disenfranchising Mississippi voters.”
An earlier version of the bill allowed the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office “to audit election procedures in the counties of this state.” In a statement on Feb. 27, Republican Secretary of State Michael Watson said the bill “would further preserve the integrity of Mississippi elections.”
“Through the version of HB 1310 we support, our office would be granted authority to conduct post-election audits,” he said.
However, on March 7, the Senate passed an amended version of the bill that only allows Watson’s office to audit precincts in the 2023 state and 2024