Hattiesburg, Mississippi Public Records

Mississippi residents can register to vote online through the Mississippi Secretary of State's website at https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/voter-registration, or by submitting paper applications to the Circuit Clerk. Registration must be completed at least 30 days before an election. The state requires voter ID at the polls, with acceptable forms including driver's licenses, U.S. Passports, government employee IDs, tribal IDs, student IDs from Mississippi universities, and other government-issued photo identification. Those without ID may cast affidavit ballots subject to verification. Municipal elections in Hattiesburg cover races for mayor, city council members, and municipal judge. Mississippi municipal elections typically occur in odd-numbered years, with the most recent mayoral and council elections held in 2021. The next municipal elections are scheduled for 2025, when voters will elect the mayor and city council members representing the city's five wards. Candidate qualifying information, sample ballots, and local ballot measures are available through the Hattiesburg City Clerk's office at 200 Forrest Street (phone: 601-545-4500) and the Forrest County Circuit Clerk closer to election dates. Residents can find their assigned polling location through the Mississippi Secretary of State's polling place lookup tool at https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/polling-place or by contacting the Forrest County Circuit Clerk. Polling places are assigned based on residential address and precinct boundaries. Mississippi public records law makes various election records accessible to the public. Voter registration lists are available for purchase for political purposes through the Circuit Clerk's office, though individual voter information including addresses is protected from commercial use. Campaign finance reports for state and federal candidates are available through the Mississippi Secretary of State's Campaign Finance Division and the Federal Election Commission. Candidate qualifying documents and precinct-level election results are public records maintained by the Circuit Clerk and Secretary of State. Election results are published on the Secretary of State's website following certification. In the November 2024 presidential election, Forrest County reported The county's electorate tends to lean conservative in statewide races while maintaining competitive local elections. Mississippi does not have a U.S. Senate seat up for election in 2026, as both Senator Roger Wicker (elected 2024) and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (elected 2024) will not face voters until later cycles. The governorship is not on the 2026 ballot, as Mississippi gubernatorial elections occur in odd-numbered years (most recently 2023). However, 2026 will feature all U.S. House of Representatives seats, with local voters participating in Mississippi's 4th Congressional District race. All 122 Mississippi House of Representatives seats and 52 Mississippi State Senate seats will be on the ballot as state legislative elections occur in even years following redistricting. Forrest County will also elect county officials including supervisors for various districts, constables, and potentially other county offices depending on term expirations. Municipal elections for city offices will occur in 2025 rather than 2026. Mississippi voters requesting absentee ballots must meet specific criteria: being away from the county on election day, having a temporary or permanent physical disability, being 65 or older, being a parent or caregiver of a dependent with a disability requiring hospitalization, being a member of the military or spouse or dependent, or being a Congressional or Executive branch employee or spouse or dependent. Absentee ballot applications are available through the Forrest County Circuit Clerk's office and must be requested in writing. The deadline to request absentee ballots is typically seven days before the election for regular absentee voting, or voters can request ballots in person at the Circuit Clerk's office up to the Saturday before Tuesday elections. Voted ballots must be postmarked by election day and received within five business days after the election to be counted.