Mississippi voters reported long lines, voting machine issues, closed precincts and other issues on a busy Election Day.
Cassandra Welchlin, executive director of the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, said her organization tracks complaints through a group text with volunteers across the state.
“We’ve been hearing people showing up and their names are not on the rolls, and they have been listed in inactive status, even though they’ve been voting the last couple of elections,” Welchlin told the Mississippi Free Press.
“Most complaints so far came from North Mississippi and DeSoto County,” Welchlin said, where older voters “have not been getting the kind of care that they need when it comes to elections, particularly around just trying to get some privacy when voting.”
In addition, Mississippi Votes Action Fund reported voting machine malfunctions in Lamar, Lincoln, Hinds and Jackson counties.
The Jackson County Election Commission confirmed reports of equipment issues on its Facebook page, asking voters for patience and reminding them to stay in line even if it goes past 7 p.m. The Mississippi Free Press reached out to the commission for more information but was told the commissioners were unavailable until the polls closed.
Broken Machines and Affidavit Ballots
At some precincts, Welchlin said, “maybe one machine was working.” Election workers at those locations steered voters toward affidavit ballots instead.
“They were being encouraged to vote affidavit,” she said. “Of course, many don’t want to do that. They want to cast their original ballots.”
Workers assured those who did vote affidavit that “their vote would be cast,” Welchlin said.
Some Hinds County voters arrived at their usual polling places and found them shut down, Welchlin said.
“On Election Day, they were closed, and they were not alerted, or they hadn’t gotten that information that those polling locations had closed,” she said. “They would show up, and nothing was there.”
“Those voters then tried other precincts, where poll workers told them they had the wrong location but helped them find the right one,” she said.
Hinds County officials have moved six polling places to new locations since 2024, as the Mississippi Free Press reported in October. Local officials are supposed to notify voters about polling place changes.
‘They Have Not Walked Away’
“Despite the problems, voters turned to the Election Protection hotline and other resources to fix issues on the spot”, Welchlin said.
“Voters are still finding the solution. They have not walked away, particularly from what we have heard this morning,” she said. “They are committed to casting their votes, which is really good.”
Still, she worries about voters who cannot afford to bounce between polling places.
“I do worry about those that have a time limit to get back to work,” Welchlin said. “They may go to one location and they realize this is not their location. And as a result, they may have to go home, pick up children, go to their second jobs, or those kinds of things. So, it definitely can be discouraging.”
Communities stepped in to fill the gaps. “Neighbors are helping neighbors, and those poll workers have been helping others find their location,” Welchlin said. “That’s really, really good and important.”
Welchlin said the roundtable was joined by the NAACP, the Legal Defense Fund and other groups in contacting county election commissioners, circuit clerks and the Mississippi
Secretary of State’s Office.
“The NAACP, the Legal Defense Fund and other groups also put people on the ground”, she said.
“It’s not just Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable. There is a coalition of us, which I just want to lift up,” Welchlin said. “I’m really proud of the work that has been done in coalition to help make sure that people know what their rights are, and that messages are being sent to circuit clerk’s offices and election commissioners to let them know they need to make sure there’s enough ballots, do whatever is necessary to rectify the problems.”
Young Voters Turn Out
Welchlin said her organization noticed an uptick in the youth vote this year.
“Young people are turning out to vote, which has been really amazing to see,” she said. “They recognize the importance of what this election means, particularly young people who have been impacted because of the federal administration’s changes to federal aid for school.”
Black Youth Vote is running an Election Day campaign to engage young voters, she added.
“Everyone is being affected by inflation, by high grocery bills, can’t pay light, gas, water, rent, childcare,” she said. “Students are being impacted and don’t know if they’re able to finish school this semester, this year. These are issues impacting them right now.”
“The only way to help bring about some of that change is about who we elect in office,” Welchlin said. “We’ve got to elect people in office who care about those kitchen-table issues. You can’t sit this one out, because if you sit it out, then others are gonna make decisions for you that’s gonna negatively impact your kitchen table.”
“Your voice is your power,” she said. “Your vote is your voice.”
Voters experiencing problems at the polls can call the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-6383).
Follow the Mississippi Free Press’ election coverage and read past stories here.
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