Voter turnout in the initial Primary was low. Less than 1,500 absentees received as of today points to runoff turnout being low as well.
Over 231,000 absentee ballots were received in the 2020 General Election in Mississippi. That total broke absentee voting records in the state.
In the 2016 General Election, nearly 103,000 absentee votes were received.
Of course, those were Presidential Election years with much attention at the top of the ballot. This 2022 cycle, however, does not have such a draw to drive voters to the polls, and it showed in the June 7th Primary Elections.
To say turnout was low three weeks ago would be an understatement. In the 2nd District, less than 52,000 Democrats and 14,500 Republicans went to the polls. District 3 had less than 50,000 Republicans go vote. No Democrats were accounted for in the 3rd District as only one candidate qualified to run. The 4th District saw less than 11,000 Democrats and 52,000 Republicans cast a ballot.
As of today, just 6 days before the three Republican Congressional runoffs, turnout is again in question as is often the norm in runoff elections.
In fact, absentee ballots in the runoffs may not even reach 1% of that 2020 absentee voting record.
According to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office on Wednesday morning, just under 1,500 absentee votes have been received ahead of next Tuesday’s Republican Congressional runoffs in the state’s 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Districts. Those votes come from 40 counties.
In total, just under 2,400 voters in 49 counites have requested an absentee ballot in the three runoff elections.
Absentee voting in Mississippi is allowed by excuse, with the most common reason being that a voter will be out of their county on Election Day. Being temporarily disabled or over 65 years of age are also common reasons for absentee voting, as is the fact that some voters simply cannot get off of work on Election Day while polls are open between 7 am and 7 pm.
To vote absentee, a voter should contact or visit their County Circuit Clerk’s office during regular business hours or on Saturday between 8am to noon. The last day to absentee vote in the June 28th runoff elections is this Saturday, June 25th.
Voters are reminded that if you voted in the Democratic Primary on June 7th you cannot vote in the Republican runoff elections this Tuesday. Only those voters who previously voted in the Republican Primary or who did not vote at all on June 7th can vote on June 28th in the runoffs.
Frank Corder
