Secretary of State Urges Mississippi Voters Prepare for March 10 Primary

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson is urging voters to prepare ahead of the primary election. He also discussed election-related legislation advancing through the state legislature and addressed voter ID laws during an interview on WLOX News This Week.

Primary Election

The primary election will be on March 10 and will include races for U.S. Senate and U.S. House seats. The deadline for in-person absentee voting is Saturday, March 7, and all mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day.

“They are incredibly important elections for the future of our state and our country,” said Watson.

He said voters should use the My Election Day tool on the Secretary of State’s website to print a sample ballot and review candidates before heading to the polls.

“I hope folks are taking the time to educate themselves on the candidates to make sure they are going to get out and vote,” said Watson.

His office also runs several programs aimed at increasing voter participation.

“Starting with our young folks, making sure they understand the importance of elections, why they should be engaged,” said Watson.

The Promote the Vote campaign conducts mock elections in schools. An ambassador program selects dozens of high school seniors each year to learn about elections and conduct voter registration drives in their schools. Watson said his office also visits colleges and community events as part of an Elections 101 campaign focused on voter registration and the voting process.

Election legislation

Watson said a bill is moving in the legislature that would allow absentee voters to insert their ballot directly into a machine rather than using an envelope. He said the Clerks Association has been pushing the change, citing cases where voters’ ballots were disqualified due to technical errors with envelopes.

Watson said he is focused on ensuring the integrity of the process regardless of how the envelope question is resolved.

“No matter who it is that casts that vote, I want to make sure that it was done correctly, by the law, and it is the vote that is going to be counted,” said Watson.

SAVE Act and voter ID

Watson said he supports the federal SAVE Act, which would require voters to show ID and proof of citizenship. He said the key question is how the law would be implemented at the state level if passed by Congress.

“Showing your ID and then proving you’re a citizen, those are no-brainers, in my opinion,” said Watson.

The Secretary of State said Mississippi already has a voter ID law and a proof-of-citizenship requirement in which registrants’ information is checked against security databases, including the SAVE system.

“We should only have United States citizens voting in our elections,” said Watson.

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