Elections Committee Chairman Noah Sanford has successfully pushed some House members to scrap a Senate proposal to establish early voting in Mississippi and expand the state’s absentee voting program instead. 

Sanford, a Republican from Collins, last week got the committee to adopt a plan clarifying voters who anticipate their employers might require them to work on Election Day and adding that people who care for children or disabled adults can vote by absentee. 

“I’m the poster child for this,” Sanford said. “I’ve got a 5-year-old, a 2-year-old and a 9-month-old. I can promise you, you don’t want me bringing them into the polling place. They’d be knocking something over, and it would be a bad experience for all of us.” 

The plan passed the Elections Committee with no audible opposition, and it can now go before the full House for consideration. 

Sanford’s proposal also establishes an early voting task force, although Sanford held a hearing over the summer to study the issue. It also allows election workers to process absentee ballot forms leading to Election Day. 

To vote by absentee, a voter must meet one of around a dozen legal excuses, such as temporarily living outside of their county or being over 65. Mississippi law doesn’t allow people to vote by absentee purely out of convenience or choice. 

The Senate passed a proposal, authored by Republican Sen. Jeremy Englad of Vancleave, that would have established 15 days of no-excuse, in-person early voting and required voters to present a valid photo ID to an elections worker. 

Sanford told committee members that the Senate proposal does not have enough support from House members needed for it to pass. If the House passes Sanford’s proposal, it would return it to the Senate for consideration. 

Mississippi is one of only three states that do not have no-excuse early voting or no-excuse absentee voting.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Mississippi Today is moving its offices to downtown Jackson

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
March 3, 2025

Mississippi Today, the state’s flagship nonprofit newsroom, is moving its offices to downtown Jackson from Ridgeland.

For us, this move is more than just a change of address — it’s a reflection of our belief in Jackson’s promise. In late February, we announced the launch of a team of reporters focused on covering the city of Jackson. We believe strongly that the success of the entire state of Mississippi relies on the success of Jackson.

READ MORE: Mississippi Today announces new team of reporters to cover the city of Jackson

Downtown Jackson, in particular, is Mississippi’s heartbeat. The values represented in this neighborhood are the values that define the people of the entire state: creativity, determination, perseverance, and a tangible sense of community. By investing in this space, we’re investing in the people, businesses, and leaders who are already shaping the city and state every day. And we hope to be representative of a proud next chapter that breathes life into this important place.

Our new home will be in the historic Lamar Life Building, one of Mississippi’s most iconic landmarks. Opened and dedicated in 1925 — exactly 100 years ago — it was the state of Mississippi’s first skyscraper and remains a symbol of Jackson’s growth and resilience.

This building boasts an important literary and media history. A young Eudora Welty, working for her father’s life insurance company, began her lifelong pursuit of storytelling and photography in the building. It was also home to Mississippi’s first network radio station, WJDX, and it also once housed Lamar Broadcasting Television, now known as WLBT. We are proud to build upon these legacies.

Our office, which is currently being renovated, will not only provide a comfortable home for the largest newsroom staff in the state that is already doing so much work downtown at the state Capitol and at City Hall. It will double as a community gathering place and venue for the live programming that Mississippi Today does so well. We want our space to regularly bring people downtown, and we will work to host events that every Mississippian will find engaging.

Stay tuned for more updates as we settle into our new home. We couldn’t be more excited to continue our work from the heart of Mississippi.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Dr. Randy McCoy, a retired longtime public school superintendent and member of the state employee retirement system board, says a plan passed by the Senate aimed at financially stabilizing PERS would cause long-term problems in hiring and retaining teachers and other state employees. He says the system can be shored up with less drastic reductions in benefits for future employees. 

READ MORE: As lawmakers look to cut taxes, Mississippi mayors and county leaders outline infrastructure needs

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.