Steens, Mississippi Public Records

Mississippi residents can register online through the Secretary of State's website at www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/pages/voter-registration.aspx, or complete a paper application available at the Circuit Clerk's office, public libraries, and various state agencies. The state requires registration at least 30 days before an election. Voters must present acceptable photo identification at the polls, including driver's licenses, government employee ID cards, U.S. Passports, firearms licenses, student IDs from Mississippi accredited institutions, tribal photo IDs, or Mississippi Voter Identification Cards available free from Circuit Clerk offices. As an unincorporated community, Steens holds no municipal elections for mayor or city council. Instead, residents vote in Lowndes County Board of Supervisors elections, with five supervisor districts elected to four-year terms. They also participate in countywide races for Sheriff, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, Circuit Clerk, Chancery Clerk, and Coroner, along with state legislative contests for the Mississippi House of Representatives and Mississippi State Senate. Local voters can find their assigned polling place by contacting the Circuit Clerk at (662) 329-5800 or using the polling place locator on the Secretary of State's website at www.sos.ms.gov. Mississippi public records law makes certain election records publicly accessible, including voter registration lists available for purchase by candidates and political parties, campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State's office and searchable at www.sos.ms.gov, candidate qualifying documents, precinct-level election results, and absentee ballot statistics. During the November 2024 general election, Lowndes County reported approximately 18,500-19,500 registered voters with turnout estimated at 55-62% for the presidential race, mirroring Mississippi's overall participation rates. Mississippi has no U.S. Senate seats up for election that year, as both senators were elected in different cycle years. However, all four of Mississippi's U.S. House of Representatives seats will be contested, with Steens located in Mississippi's 1st Congressional District currently represented by Trent Kelly. Because Mississippi holds statewide elections for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and other constitutional offices in odd-numbered years, most recently in 2023, the 2026 ballot won't feature gubernatorial races. The ballot will include all 122 seats in the Mississippi House of Representatives and all 52 seats in the Mississippi State Senate, as all state legislative seats are contested every four years. Lowndes County will also elect county supervisors in certain districts depending on the rotation schedule, and may feature ballot measures or special elections. Absentee voting in Mississippi is available for voters meeting specific criteria: being away from their county of residence on election day, being a student or spouse residing outside their county, being 65 years or older, having a temporary or permanent disability, being a parent, spouse, or dependent of a person with a disability requiring the voter's assistance, or being a member of the military or overseas citizen. Absentee ballot applications must be submitted to the Circuit Clerk's office, and voted ballots must be received by 7:00 PM on election day, as postmarks do not count. Mississippi offers neither universal no-excuse absentee voting nor early in-person voting beyond the absentee process. Additional election information, sample ballots, and voter guides are available from the Lowndes County Circuit Clerk and the Mississippi Secretary of State at www.sos.ms.gov.