Students seeking to participate in the Nov. 5 elections must ensure they are registered to vote — a process that can differ from person to person.

The University of Mississippi’s Voting Engagement Ambassadors guide students through the voting process by hosting outreach events on campus and in the Lafayette-Oxford community. Marshall Pentes, a senior economics major and voting engagement ambassador encouraged students to think about how, where and when they are going to vote early.

“The problem with registration is it’s actually very complicated,” Pentes said. “We do a lot of tabling and outreach so that we’re able to connect with students and members of the Oxford community that have questions and want those questions answered. We compile different resources that we share with strategic partners across the university.”

Students and Mississippi residents

The deadline to register to vote in-person in Mississippi is Monday, Oct. 7. Eligible voters in Mississippi can register at the city clerk’s office, which is located at City Hall in Oxford. If registering by mail, registration materials must be postmarked Oct. 7.

Anyone — including both in and out-of-state students — who has resided permanently in Oxford for at least 30 days is eligible to vote in-person in Oxford, according to a release from Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson. Students must indicate their dormitory or residence in Oxford as their permanent address when registering to vote at the city clerk’s office. Additionally, students will need a place in Oxford where they can receive mail, whether it is their place of residence or a third party mailing facility.

If you are an Oxford-registered voter who is unable to vote in-person on Nov. 5, there is another option: absentee voting.

Mail-in absentee ballots are available to registered voters who are able to provide sufficient documentation explaining why they cannot vote in-person. These ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5. To vote in-person absentee, the voter needs to visit the appropriate County Circuit Clerk’s Office and adhere to each municipality’s  early voting steps and procedures.

If you are a Mississippi resident who is not eligible to vote in Oxford you can also vote absentee. 

In-state students registered to vote in their home county but who are in Oxford on Election Day can vote absentee on their home county ballot. Students should contact their home county circuit clerk to discuss absentee voting options.

In Mississippi, a driver’s license, UM student ID or another form of acceptable photo identification is necessary for voter registration. Anyone convicted of crimes including but not limited to forgery, felony shoplifting, murder, theft, perjury or receiving stolen property are barred from voting.

Anyone unsure of registration status can visit vote.gov to verify whether they are registered. Once voter registration is completed, a voter registration card is issued with the polling place information. Residents of the same municipality may have different polling places.

In Mississippi, voting will take place Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. All mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 5 and must be received before Nov. 13. All in-person absentee voting must be done between Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the local city clerk’s office.

Out-of-state voters

For out-of-state students intending to vote in their home states, registration and voting depends on your individual state’s rules. Differing rules exist regarding photo identification and mail-in voting. Further information on voting as a college student can be found at vote.gov.

Out-of-state students can also access this spreadsheet compiled by UM Voting Engagement Ambassadors in order to find detailed information on registering to vote in their own state.

Although the process can be difficult to navigate, Pentes stressed the importance of voting.

“If you do not vote, politicians will not hear your voice, and nothing will change,” Pentes said. “We all have issues that we care about. Voting is the best way to make those in power care about the same things you do.”