Southaven, Mississippi Public Records

Mississippi offers online voter registration through the Secretary of State at www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/voter-registration-information, though residents must register at least 30 days before any election to be eligible. Acceptable identification includes a Mississippi driver's license, photo ID card issued by any state agency, U.S. Passport, government employee ID card, firearms license, student ID from a Mississippi university or community college, U.S. Military ID, tribal photo ID, or any other photo ID issued by federal or state government entities. The state does not permit same-day registration. Municipal elections for Mayor and Board of Aldermen run on a four-year cycle. The most recent citywide elections took place in June 2021, putting the next municipal general election in June 2025, with party primaries in May 2025 if needed. Candidates for city office file with the City Clerk, and local ballot measures like bond referenda appear on municipal or special election ballots as circumstances require. Residents also vote in county elections for the De Soto County Board of Supervisors (five districts), Sheriff, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, Circuit Clerk, Chancery Clerk, Coroner, and other countywide positions, typically held during the same cycle as municipal contests. Finding your polling place is straightforward through the Election Commission's locator at www.desotocountyms.gov or by calling 662-469-8650. Polling sites in the city include schools, community centers, and churches, with assignments based on precinct boundaries that occasionally shift due to redistricting. Mississippi law makes certain election records available to the public: voter registration lists (purchasable by qualified requesters), campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State and municipal clerks, candidate qualifying documents, and precinct-level results. The Secretary of State publishes statewide and county results at www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/election-results. De Soto County saw approximately 67% voter turnout among registered voters in the November 2024 presidential election, with over 90,000 ballots cast, reflecting strong Republican preferences consistent with state trends. Looking toward November 3, 2026, voters in the city and county will decide several significant races. Mississippi holds gubernatorial elections in odd-numbered years following presidential contests (next in 2027), so the governor's office won't appear on the 2026 ballot. However, 2026 is a federal midterm year: Mississippi's U.S. Senate seat currently held by Roger Wicker is up for election, along with the state's four U.S. House seats. Southaven sits in the 1st Congressional District. State legislative races for the Mississippi House of Representatives and Mississippi Senate will also appear, as state legislators serve four-year terms and were last elected in 2023. Certain county offices may appear depending on term schedules. Municipal elections for city offices are held in odd years (2025) and won't appear on the November 2026 ballot. Mississippi allows absentee voting by mail for voters meeting specific criteria: those away from their county on election day, those with temporary or permanent physical disabilities, those 65 or older, parents or spouses or dependents of disabled persons, military members and their spouses and dependents, those whose employment requires them to be away from the county, and students, teachers, or administrators at educational institutions outside their county of residence. Absentee ballot applications are available at www.desotocountyms.gov/election-commission or through the Election Commission office. Completed applications must arrive by mail or in person; the deadline for mail ballot requests is five business days before the election. In-person absentee voting at the Commission office in Hernando begins 45 days before an election and ends at noon the Saturday before Election Day. Mississippi does not offer no-excuse absentee voting or universal vote-by-mail.