govt.fyi
Mississippi Legislature · HB 859 · Approved by Governor (Chapter 385)

In-person absentee voting; require use of OMR equipment and establish security measures and procedure to challenge.

Introduced
Moved
Reached a final decision
Became law
Derived from the official record below.

Officially: “AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-637, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE ALL ABSENTEE BALLOTS CAST IN PERSON AT THE OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR TO BE CAST USING THE OPTICAL MARK READING (OMR) EQUIPMENT; Read the full text

2026 Regular Session

What it does

In-person absentee voting; require use of OMR equipment and establish security measures and procedure to challenge.
From the official legislative record, shown verbatim. Not legal advice.

Where it is

Referred To Apportionment and Elections · Jan 16, 2026

House

Title Suff Do Pass · Jan 29, 2026

House

Amended · Feb 10, 2026

House

Passed As Amended · Feb 10, 2026

House

Transmitted To Senate · Feb 12, 2026

House

Referred To Elections;Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency · Feb 17, 2026

Senate

DR - TSDP: EL To AC · Feb 26, 2026

Senate

Title Suff Do Pass · Mar 3, 2026

Senate

Passed · Mar 10, 2026

Senate

Returned For Enrolling · Mar 11, 2026

Senate

Enrolled Bill Signed · Mar 12, 2026

House

Enrolled Bill Signed · Mar 12, 2026

Senate

Approved by Governor · Mar 19, 2026

The numbers

1
sponsor on the bill

Sponsors

Sanford

Recorded votes

PassedSenate · 2026-03-10 · Yeas 51, Nays 1, Absent and those not voting 0
Passed As AmendedHouse · 2026-02-10 · Yeas 119, Nays 1, Absent or those not voting 2
Roll-call results shown verbatim from the Mississippi legislature’s records. A result reflects that roll call’s own motion, not the bill’s overall outcome.
Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record. Last action: Approved by Governor (Mar 19, 2026).