House Bill 278 Summary

• Requires all in-person voters at polling places and registrar's offices to present current and valid government-issued photo identification before voting, with exceptions for state-licensed care facility residents and those with religious objections to photography.

• Accepts seven types of identification including Mississippi driver's licenses, state-issued photo ID cards, U.S. passports, government employee IDs, student IDs from Mississippi institutions, concealed carry permits, and military IDs.

• Allows voters without acceptable identification to cast provisional affidavit ballots that are counted if the voter is verified as registered.

• Provides free state-issued photo identification from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety for voters who cannot afford identification.

• Requires the Secretary of State to prepare instructions for absent voters on complying with Help America Vote Act identification requirements and directs election managers to ensure compliance.

• Establishes criminal penalties of $5,000 fine or 1-5 years imprisonment for using the identification requirements to intimidate or prevent qualified voters from voting.

• Requires submission to the U.S. Department of Justice under the Voting Rights Act before implementation.