§ Miss. Code § 23-15-511Form of ballots; posting of sample ballots; ballot security envelopes

The ballots shall, as far as practicable, to be in the same order of arrangement as provided for
paper ballots that are to be counted manually, except that such information may be printed in
vertical or horizontal rows. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as prohibiting the
information being presented to the voters from being printed on both sides of a single ballot. In
those years when a special election shall occur on the same day as the general election, the
names of candidates in any special election and the general election shall be placed on the same
ballot by the commissioners of elections or officials in charge of the election, but the general
election candidates shall be clearly distinguished from the special election candidates. At any
time a special election is held on the same day as a party primary election, the names of the
candidates in the special election may be placed on the same ballot, but shall be clearly
distinguished as special election candidates or primary election candidates.
Ballots shall be printed in plain clear type in black ink and upon clear white materials of such
size and arrangement as to be compatible with the OMR tabulating equipment. Absentee ballots
shall be prepared and printed in the same form and shall be on the same size and texture as the
regular official ballots, except that they shall be printed on tinted paper; or the ink used to print
the ballots shall be of a color different from that of the ink used to print the regular official
ballots. Arrows may be printed on the ballot to indicate the place to mark the ballot, which may
be to the right or left of the names of candidates and propositions. The titles of offices may be
arranged in vertical columns on the ballot and shall be printed above or at the side of the names
of candidates so as to indicate clearly the candidates for each office and the number to be elected.
In case there are more candidates for an office then can be printed in one (1) column, the ballot
shall be clearly marked that the list of candidates is continued on the following column. The
names of candidates for each office shall be printed in vertical columns, grouped by the offices
which they seek. In partisan elections, the party designation of each candidate, which may be
abbreviated, shall be printed following his name.
Two (2) sample ballots, which shall be facsimile ballots of the official ballot and instructions
to the voters, shall be provided for each precinct and shall be posted in each polling place on
election day.
A separate ballot security envelope or suitable equivalent in which the voter can place his
ballot after voting, shall be provided to conceal the choices the voter has made. Absentee voters
will receive a similar ballot security envelope provided by the county in which the absentee voter
will insert their voted ballot, which then can be inserted into a return envelope to be mailed back
to the election official. Absentee ballots will not be required to be folded when a ballot security
envelope is provided.