Earlier this week, the Mississippi Senate passed the “In-Person Early Voting Act,” a measure that would enact a 15-day “no excuse” in-person early voting window. Though the bill was authored by Republican Sen. Jeremy England and overwhelmingly approved by the GOP-controlled chamber, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has taken up arms against the legislation and its proponents.
Senate Bill 2654 would replace the current 45-day in-person absentee voting period, where voters need an official excuse, such as work or disability, to cast their ballot before the general election. It would bring the Magnolia State in line with 47 other states that allow in-person early voting with no excuse needed.
Sen. England, who chairs the Senate Elections Committee, said the consensus among circuit clerks and election leaders he spoke with in constructing the legislation is that an in-person early voting window would streamline the voting process.
“Look, if 47 other states are doing this, we’re ready. We can do this,” England said during an appearance on MidDays with Gerard Gibert. “In any of these states where it’s been implemented, it hasn’t changed a state from red to blue or vice versa. That just doesn’t happen. It just allows people the convenience to cast their vote – that’s very important to be able to do.”
But Gov. Reeves disagrees, pointing to what he believes would increase the risk for voter fraud in both local and statewide elections. A chief concern for the Republican governor is that the legislation is a “Democrat priority” and has labeled England as an “MVP” for Mississippi Democrats in authoring the bill.
I believe Mississippians want our elected leaders to make our elections more secure and make it harder to cheat – in fact, after the 2020 elections Republicans are demanding it!!
Unfortunately @JeremyEnglandMS
joined every Senate Democrat today to do the exact opposite with… https://t.co/WKicbh6B48
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) February 12, 2025
Though Sen. England has attempted to rebuff the governor’s criticism by pointing to pro-early voting tactics by the national party during the presidential campaign, Reeves has doubled down in subsequent posts, lambasting England for working across the aisle on early voting.
A picture is worth a thousand words!!
Senator @JeremyEnglandMS you may think it is funny that you are working with the Senate Democrat Minority Leader to pass the @msdemocrats priorities….
BUT I DO NOT!
From the Clarion Ledger: pic.twitter.com/XR4kZMp4Mo
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) February 13, 2025
“The name-calling or any of that – that doesn’t really matter. Governor Reeves is a friend of mine and of course, we disagree on this. But we know what we’re doing,” England said. “I don’t think it’s accurate to say this is a Democrat issue. We’re seeing this across the board. Just casting this off as a Democrat issue isn’t helpful.”
The prevailing sentiment among national Republicans, along with a slew of Mississippi Republican senators who gave the bill a thumbs up, tends to agree with England.
According to Politico, Republican President Donald Trump’s campaign spent in excess of $15 million specifically urging GOP voters to cast their vote early in the 2024 general election. The push was especially prevalent in battleground states like Pennsylvania.
England echoed that disposition, pointing to a collection of Republican voters in his state who were confused that they were unable to vote early without an excuse after their presidential nominee was urging them to.
But he doesn’t want you, @tatereeves. You think Voting Early is just for Democrats. It is not. Get on board so WE don’t get left behind. This works. Republicans can do this, like 47 other states! Let’s do this. Lead! pic.twitter.com/TCOfuydpw0
— Senator Jeremy England, MS51 (@JeremyEnglandMS) February 12, 2025
The lawmaker from Vancleave has continued to dig his heels in, defending “my character and my morals… I will not tarnish it, and nobody else will. I don’t care how much money you have or how much power you have.”
SB 2654 passed the Senate with a resounding, bipartisan approval of 39-12 and has since been referred to committee in the House of Representatives. England is hopeful that his cross-chamber counterpart, House Apportionment and Elections Committee Chair Noah Sanford, will be able to help guide the bill, or a similar version of it, through the other chamber and put the measure on Gov. Reeves’ desk with enough support to make it veto-proof.
“Ideally, I’d love for the governor to sign it,” England concluded. “Let it become a law and let’s move on.”
