Ballots; revise when certain shall be counted.

HB 1309 changes Mississippi's absentee ballot processing rules. It requires election officials to begin processing absentee ballots on the Monday before an election but mandates that all absentee ballot results be announced simultaneously with other election day votes. The bill also requires all ballots to be counted and tallied by election night, and prohibits sealing ballot boxes until every vote in the precinct has been counted and reported. These changes directly affect election officials managing absentee ballots and ensure all votes are tabulated and announced together on election night.