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2026 PRIMARY ELECTION RECAP
The 2026 Primary Election on March 10 featured races for U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in all 82 counties. Despite low turnout (albeit just slightly higher than the March 2022 Primary), Mississippi saw a successful Election Day, thanks to our phenomenal team of circuit clerks, election commissioners, poll workers, and Secretary of State's Office staff.
The 2026 General Election will soon follow on Tuesday, November 3. In the meantime, be sure to stay up to date on all things elections on YallVote.ms. Additionally, follow our Elections 101 campaign on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
I challenge each of you to continue encouraging your family, friends, and neighbors to fulfill their civic duty and show up to the polls, regardless of the races on the ballot. Through casting ballots in every election, whether federal or municipal, we can ensure our voices will be heard as registered voters.
Our office remains your trusted source for election information. For questions or assistance, I encourage you to contact our Elections Division at 1-800-829-6786, ElectionsAnswers@sos.ms.gov, or visit YallVote.ms.
MORE NEWS
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PRESS RELEASE: New Secretary of State's Office Location: Now Open
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MAGNOLIA TRIBUNE: Mississippi lawmakers send SHIELD Act, aimed at verifying voters' citizenship, on to Governor
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SUPERTALK MISSISSIPPI: Secretary Michael Watson on Voter Rolls and Election Day Voting
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
With the 2026 Legislative Session coming to an end, I'm especially proud of our friends in the Legislature for passing the Safeguard Honesty Integrity in Elections for Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act. This legislation will aid in the verification of our voters' citizenship, strengthening election integrity throughout Mississippi.
Additionally, our legislators passed the Mississippi Business Filing Fraud Prevention Act. Our team here at the Secretary of State's Office has spent several years developing this legislation, and we are thrilled to have another tool for protecting Mississippians and their businesses from fraudulent business filings.
There is always more to accomplish, but I'm thankful to my legislative colleagues for their hard work this session as we continue collaborating to better serve all Mississippians.
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OLRC VOTE UPDATE
I'm excited to announce we recently cast our 159th vote as a member of the Occupational Licensing Review Commission. Since the inception of our Tackle the Tape initiative, we have worked diligently to cut burdensome regulations for hardworking Mississippians. Each of these votes has made it easier for all to live and do business in our state.
Should you encounter a regulatory barrier hindering your business or profession, I encourage you to contact our office. Every reported regulation assists our efforts to reduce red tape in Mississippi.
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PTV AWARDS CEREMONY
We recently hosted our 2025 Promote the Vote Awards Ceremony at the Two Mississippi Museums. A special thank you to Miss Mississippi, Anna Leah Jolly, for joining us and to the Mississippi Business Alliance (MSBA) for their continued partnership with our office.
PTV, our K-12 voter education program, emphasizes the importance of being engaged in the elections process while encouraging our students to showcase their talent through art, poetry, essays, and video production. Congratulations to this year's winners and to all of our students, teachers, and schools for their participation!
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STUDENT AMBASSADOR APPLICATION DEADLINE
The application deadline for the 2026-2027 SOS Student Ambassador Program is quickly approaching this Friday, April 3. This program is one of the best things we have built during my time at the Secretary of State's Office. Through this special opportunity to mentor Mississippi's high school seniors, we equip them with leadership skills while teaching them about government and public service.
Remind your friends and neighbors who are rising high school seniors to submit their applications by this Friday. For questions or more information regarding the program, please contact our office at Ambassadors@sos.ms.gov.
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SOS COOKOUT
It's always a treat to enjoy some food and fellowship with our agency employees at our annual cookout. I'm honored to serve our state each day with these fine Mississippians.
A big thanks to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources for cooking the delicious seafood!
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READ ACROSS AMERICA WEEK
Loved visiting with our students throughout Read Across America Week, but the highlight was getting to read to sweet Cora Beth and her classmates. I'm grateful for our educators and their important investment in Mississippi's future leaders.
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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT
Nicole Cherry
Nicole serves as a Business Support Specialist in our Business Services Division. She joined the Secretary of State's Office in 2017.
Nicole is a wonderful example of what it means to have a heart for public service. She is known to both her coworkers and constituents as extraordinarily kind, detail-oriented, and hardworking. Nicole's bright smile and positivity are contagious.
We are extremely blessed to have Nicole on our team and appreciate her service to Mississippi!
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