Mississippi election officials will no longer be able to change or close polling places within 60 days of an election except under certain circumstances under a new law.
Mississippi House Rep. Noah Sanford, a Republican from Collins, introduced House Bill 1419 on the House floor on Feb. 5.
“If there are extraordinary circumstances, whether it be a tornado hit the building or whatever, it can be moved and they have to provide notice of that movement in the newspaper and post notice at the location so as not to confuse voters, but otherwise, locations need to be moved more than 60 days before an election in order to give voters enough time to be aware of those movements so they can go to the right place.”
Rep. Zakiya Summers, a Jackson Democrat, authored the bill. It says that in the event of “exigent circumstances,” authorities must disclose their reasoning for the decision during their next scheduled meeting, provide public notice of the change posted at city hall, the court house, the registrar’s office, the previous polling place if it is a public building, and publish the change in the newspaper for three consecutive weeks before the election.
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Since 2020, the Mississippi Free Press has reported on hundreds of precinct closures and changes, including some that happened mere weeks before an election. In 2023, the Mississippi Free Press reported on how Hinds County officials moved two Jackson polling places just hours before voters headed to the polls for that year’s party primaries after realizing that they were not accessible for disabled voters, likely in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Months later, in February 2024, Summers introduced her first attempt at passing legislation to prevent last-minute polling place changes. The bill earned approval in the house that year, but it died in the Senate. After introducing the bill again this year, Summers called it “one of my key legislative priorities” on her website.
This year’s attempt passed both chambers with no members opposed,
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