Philadelphia, Mississippi Public Records

Mississippi provides online voter registration through the Secretary of State's website at https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/pages/voter-registration.aspx. Eligibility requirements include U.S. Citizenship, Mississippi residency, being at least 18 years old by election day, and not being disqualified by a felony conviction unless voting rights have been restored or by a judicial determination of mental incapacity. The state requires registration at least 30 days before any election. Acceptable identification for registration includes a valid Mississippi driver's license or state-issued photo ID card number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. As an incorporated municipality with a mayor-council government structure, the city holds municipal elections for mayor, city council members, and potentially other local offices. Mississippi schedules municipal general elections for most cities in June of odd-numbered years, following party primaries earlier in the spring. The next regular municipal election cycle is scheduled for June 2025, with the following cycle in 2029. Information about candidates, local ballot measures, and polling locations is available through the Circuit Clerk's office and the City Clerk at Philadelphia City Hall, (601) 656-4401. Residents can locate their assigned polling place by contacting the Circuit Clerk's office at (601) 656-3581 or using the polling place lookup tool on the Mississippi Secretary of State's website at https://www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting/Pages/Polling-Place-Locator.aspx. Public election records in Mississippi include voter registration lists available to campaigns and for election purposes under certain restrictions, campaign finance reports filed by candidates and political committees accessible through the Secretary of State's website, candidate qualifying documents, official election results by precinct, and absentee ballot applications. The Circuit Clerk maintains these records at the Neshoba County level while the Secretary of State maintains them statewide. However, the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Roger Wicker is up for election in 2026, representing a major federal race. All four of Mississippi's U.S. House seats will be on the ballot, with Philadelphia located in Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District. The entire Mississippi Legislature is elected in odd-numbered years following redistricting, with the most recent legislative elections in 2023, so state legislative seats will not appear on the 2026 ballot. County offices including supervisors, sheriff, chancery clerk, circuit clerk, tax assessor, tax collector, coroner, and surveyor are elected in cycles. Voters should verify with the Circuit Clerk which county offices will appear on the 2026 ballot as terms vary. Special elections, bond referendums, or local ballot measures may also be included. Mississippi voters may request absentee ballots under specific circumstances: absence from the county on election day, required work as a poll worker in another precinct, temporary or permanent disability, age 65 or older, parent or spouse of a person with a temporary or permanent disability who is hospitalized, or caretaker of a dependent person. Applications must be submitted to the Circuit Clerk's office, with mail-in absentee ballot applications due by 12:00 noon on the Saturday before the election. Voted absentee ballots must be postmarked by election day and received within five business days after the election to be counted, or delivered in person to the Circuit Clerk by 7:00 PM on election day. The state does not offer universal no-excuse absentee voting. Voters must present photo identification when voting in person. Acceptable IDs include a Mississippi driver's license, photo ID card issued by a branch, department, or entity of Mississippi state government, U.S. Government photo ID, employee photo ID issued by any branch of federal, state, or local government, U.S. Passport, government or public college/university student photo ID, Mississippi license to carry a concealed pistol or revolver, or a tribal photo ID. Free Mississippi Voter Identification cards are available from Circuit Clerk offices for registered voters without other acceptable ID.