Voter Engagement

Getting involved in the electoral process is a vital step toward making your voice heard. Explore the links below to access voter registration forms, find your county clerk's office, and get started on your journey to becoming an active participant in our democracy.

Don't forget to register to vote before your state's deadline! Most states require you to register to vote prior to an election. The deadline to register to vote in Mississippi for this year is October 7, 2024.

Absentee voting is a convenient option for those who can't make it to the polls on election day. Whether you're attending college outside your home state, working long hours, or have other commitments, absentee voting lets you to cast your ballot from anywhere. Our resources will guide you through the steps to request an absentee ballot and provide you with the essential information you need to vote by mail. Click the link below to learn more about absentee voting and make sure your vote counts.

Our voter engagement efforts include setting goals, building and sustaining a cross-campus and community coalition, developing an action plan, executing that plan, evaluating our efforts, and setting new goals for the future. Based on our work, we have received the Voter Friendly Campus designation for four consecutive years from national nonpartisan organizations, Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

The University of Mississippi Voting Summit, originally envisioned by student leaders Katelyn Winstead (Class of 2022) and Caroline Leonard (Class of 2024), is a bi-annual program that seeks to educate the UM campus community about the value of voting and civic engagement. Thanks to Winstead and Leonard’s inspiration, the Voting Summit has transformed into a bi-annual, multi-day, educational initiative held during key election years. In March 2024, the Center for Community Engagement hosted the Voting Engagement Summit with a focus on the 60th Anniversary of Mississippi Freedom Summer and lessons learned today.

The Voting Engagement Roundtable is a volunteer group of staff, faculty, students, and community members who meet monthly to organize nonpartisan voter education efforts for our campus community. Roundtable members organize voter registration drives, voter education events, and advocate for additional methods University infrastructure can promote nonpartisan voter engagement.

Any member of the community is invited to join the Roundtable! Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at 11 am via Zoom and in the Sarah Isom Conference Room, located on the third floor of Lamar Hall, Suite A. For more information on how to join, please contact Dr. William Teer, Voting Engagement Roundtable Chair.