Government & Community
Want to get involved with your community through a local organization or talk to your local government officials? This page is for you. There are a lot of things going on in Jackson, and we’ve compiled them here for you. Not registered to vote? Find out everything you need to know about voting locally.
Voting
This page has all the information about voting that you need, from getting registered to vote, to understanding the process of voting and becoming an informed voter. So you can vote in your next election!
How to register to vote in Mississippi
You can register to vote at your Circuit Clerk’s office, your Municipal Clerk’s office, when you get your driver’s license at the Department of Public Safety, or through the mail by downloading a voter registration form from our website and mailing it to your Circuit Clerk. You can also fill out the voter registration form and drop it off at the Circuit Clerk’s office. If you want more information about voter registration, or want to know how to get registered in a different state, click for more information below.
Check if you are registered to vote
If you have registered to vote in the past, or want to double check you are registered before election day, it’s a good idea to check that you are registered before showing up to the polls. Click the button below to check your voter registration status!
Circuit Clerk
You can contact your circuit clerk with any questions about voting or voter registration. You can also mail them your voter registration form to get registered. You can look up your circuit clerk information on the internet, or if you live in Mississippi, you can find their mailing address here:
Jackson (Hinds County) Circuit Clerk
Circuit Clerk: Zack Wallace
Phone: (601) 968-6628
Email: zwallace@co.hinds.ms.us
Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 327, Jackson, MS 39205
Office Address: 407 E Pascagoula St, Jackson, MS 39205
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday
How to vote
In Person
If you are planning to vote in person, you can check your polling location below. On election day, go to that location to vote. There will be signs set up and poll workers to direct you when you get there. You will need your ID.
Early & Absentee
If you are not able to vote in person, whether you are traveling or sick, check out the information on absentee voting below. You generally have to register to vote absentee ahead of time, so if you know you will be gone, make sure you work on that before you leave!
Voter ID
If you don’t have an ID, check out the how to get a voter ID information below. A voter ID is different from a voter registration card. Everyone gets a voter registration card when they register to vote, and you cannot use it as a real form of ID. A voter ID is a form of identification that allows you to vote.
Deciding who to vote for – do your research
It is good to be an informed voter – but how do you become one? There are a couple ways, you can research candidates in upcoming elections online, often they will have websites where you can find their platform (what they stand for). Alternatively, states often put together election guides with all the candidates, with notes about their platform and/or a message from the candidate to voters. Before elections, states and counties put out sample ballots so you can see what you will be voting for before you ever get to your polling place. Additionally, different organizations may put out voter guides. This is really helpful, as seeing the ballot for the first time when you are supposed to vote can be overwhelming! Here’s some resources to find voter guides and sample ballots to help you prepare to vote.
Ballotready has a great function where you can put in your address and see the next election date, who your current representatives are, and find sample ballots!
Ballotpedia has a similar search function. You put in your address, and you can see the sample ballot for upcoming elections. You can also click on different candidates and see their previous elections and a short biography.
When to vote
If you don’t know when the next election is, that’s okay! You have a couple options for figuring out when you should vote:
- Contact your circuit clerk (see above) – this may be the most straightforward as they can answer all your questions
- Google the state or county election calendar
- The Secretary of State’s website usually has an election calendar
- Check ballotready.org for the nearest election date
For Mississippi, visit the Secretary of State’s website, scroll down, and click on the current election calendar link.
You can also find a bunch of information about voting on this website, including voter information guides, registration information, and the polling place locator.
Other Voter resources:
If you still have questions or concerns, or just want to explore more resources related to voting, here are some general information pages that you can look at!
Local Government
Wherever you live, your local government is a valuable resource to you. Your local officials are there to assist you and listen to you problems and opinions. Most of the Springboard communities are in Jackson, Mississippi. But if you live somewhere else, it should be easy to find your city’s official website, where you can find the politicians who represent YOU! Don’t hesitate to write or email you representatives in the government, because they are there to represent you and help you.
Jackson Mississippi Government
Both Hinds County and the city of Jackson have websites where you can find your elected officials and government programs. You can also get information about schools, courts and recreation.
Hinds County Website
On the Hinds County website, you can find information about: elected official contact information, elected offices, courts, schools, recreation, election results, voting, and more. You can also pay tickets and court fines from Hinds county on this website. To visit the website, click the button below.
City of Jackson Website
On the City of Jackson website, you can find information about trash pick-up, city jobs, public transportation, the city action line, services, public safety, taxes, housing, water, community events, news, public notices, and announcements. This website has information about things like cooling stations during the summer. It also has any city run programs, and information about city officials such as the mayor and city council. To visit the website or follow them on Facebook, click one of the buttons below.
How to Get Involved in your Local Government
The government is meant to represent the people – but it can only do so if the people get involved! There are lots of ways you can get involved with your local government. The most straightforward way is to vote, you can find information about voting on a different tab on this page! There are also other ways to get involved, such as writing letters to your local officials, attending government meetings, and attending events and programs sponsored by your government.
Community
There are lots of ways to get involved in your community. This page discusses some community organizations that you can visit and participate in, and generally is an overview of different ways to get involved in your community.
Get Involved
The Library
Wherever you live, your local public library is a great place to get involved with your community. Most public libraries have free programs for kids, teens, and adults, along with free tech services, and of course free books, movies, and music with your library card. To visit the Jackson Hinds Library webpage, click the button below.
Parks & Recreation
Your local parks & rec department is also a great resource for getting involved in the community. The parks & rec department generally runs programs such as sport leagues, parks, pools, summer programs, and community centers. For more information about the Jackson Parks & Rec department and what they offer, click the button below to go to their website.
Volunteer
Another great way to get involved in your community (or have your teen get involved!) is to volunteer. There are many volunteer opportunities everywhere, and many different types of organization looking for volunteers. If you live in a Springboard Community, talk to your community specialist about upcoming events you can volunteer for. To search for volunteer opportunities near you, click the button below.
Schools, Churches & Community Organizations
Schools, churches, and other community organizations offer other ways to get involved in your community. Some of these don’t have websites or Facebook pages, so seeking them out can be a little more challenging. Talk to your children’s school, a community college, a university, a church, or another organization to see about opportunities to get involved in your community.
Find Events in Jackson
Visit Jackson
If you are looking for events in the Jackson area, check out the Visit Jackson webpage to see what’s happening by clicking the button below.
West Jxn
For events in West Jackson, check out the West Jxn website or Facebook by clicking one of the buttons below.
How to get an ID (Identification)
If you do not currently have any form of identification, you may need to get an ID for various reasons. Maybe you need a driver’s license to drive, or a passport to travel, or a voter ID so you can vote, or just a simple ID card for daily use. Whatever the case may be, and what ever form of ID you need, this page will walk you through the basics about what ID is and how to got about getting different forms of ID, even if you lack certain documents such as a birth certificate or SS card.
The Basics
What Counts as an ID?
There are many official forms of identification. Examples include a driver’s license, a passport, a voter ID, or a military or government ID. Things such as your birth certificate and social security card do not count as an ID, though they are generally used to get an ID. Some forms of ID, such as a school ID card can be used for some things, such as voting, but not others, such as purchasing alcohol or driving. All forms of ID have a photograph of your face.
What do you need an ID for?
Official IDs are important for a variety of things in day-to-day life. You may need an ID to get government benefits, to get official employment, to drive, to travel, to purchase certain items such as alcohol, to vote, to open a bank account, to get other forms of ID, and just generally to prove your age and identity for anything else.
How to get an ID in Mississippi
Drivers License
A drivers license is a fairly common form of ID. You can get a drivers license at your local DMV after passing your driving test. You can get a learners permit before you get your license, and then get your license once you’ve passed the test. For more information about getting your drivers license, click the button below.
ID Card
States issue ID cards that are similar to drivers licenses, except you cannot use them to drive. You can use them as proof of identity and age for most everything else that you could use a drivers license for. You can also get an ID card as young as 6 years old, so they are a good option for younger individuals or non-drivers. For information about how to get an ID card in Mississippi, click the button below.
Voter ID
You can get a voter ID card if you want to vote but don’t have any other forms of ID. You can only get a voter ID card if you have no other forms of acceptable ID to vote with. For more information about voter ID cards, click the button below.
Passport
A passport is one of the highest forms of ID, in that it has more requirements to get, and you can do more things with it. A passport can do all the things other forms of ID can do, plus traveling to other countries. But it takes more time and money to get a passport, so many people only get one if they have plans to travel out of the country. If you do plan on traveling, make sure you get your passport far in advance, as they can take a long time to process. For information on how to get a passport in Jackson Mississippi, click the button below.
Other Documents & how to get them
Birth Certificate
If you need a new copy of your birth certificate, you can order one from your state department of health’ vital records office. You can also order new copies of marriage or death certificates. For more information about ordering a new birth certificate, click the button below.
Social Security #
If you don’t have a SSN, don’t know what it is, or don’t have a Social Security Card, you can get your card replaced or get a SSN issued for the first time. For more information, click the button below.