Mississippi counties need to operate with transparency and open ballot counting to the public, members of the Mississippi Center for Justice, the Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign and Mississippi Votes said at a press conference Friday at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi.

“These are not just ballots. They are people’s voices, and we should not be silenced behind a closed door,” said Emilee Shell, tri-chair of the Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign. “Mississippi has a painful history of denying people their rightful place in democracy. We know what happens when decisions are made in secrecy, and we refuse to allow history to repeat itself in 2026. This is not about political parties. It’s about constitutional rights, public accountability and basic human dignity.”

Mississippi law requires that ballot counting be held in full view of the public.

State Reporter Heather Harrison has won more than a dozen awards for her multi-media journalism work. At Mississippi State University, she studied public relations and broadcast journalism, earning her Communication degree in 2023. For three years, Heather worked at The Reflector student newspaper: first as a staff reporter, then as the news editor and finally, as the editor-in-chief. This is where her passion for politics and government reporting began.
Heather started working at the Mississippi Free Press three days after graduation in 2023. She also worked part time for Starkville Daily News after college covering the Board of Aldermen meetings.
In her free time, Heather likes to sit on the porch, read books and listen to Taylor Swift. A native of Hazlehurst, she now lives in Brandon with her wife and their Boston Terrier, Finley, and calico cat, Ravioli.