Three of Hinds County’s five election commissioners gathered to explain the process of counting affidavit ballots on Wednesday afternoon and asked for patience and understanding that it will take time.

“I ask everyone to please be patient,” Commission Chair Yvonne Robinson Ford said. “Give us a chance because this is going to be a long process. So just give us some grace, give us some patience.”

Commissioners begin by separating the ballots from voters who did not present an ID. These voters have until Nov. 10 to show their ID to the circuit clerk’s office to have their affidavit vote verified. Additionally, commissioners are responsible for verifying all affidavit ballots in their respective districts, which can include between 14 and 28 precincts.

Capital Bureau Reporter Grace E. Marion is covering the capital city, Jackson, as well as surrounding rural, urban and suburban areas in Hinds County, Madison County and Rankin County. She is a reporter and photojournalist with a passion for narrative writing and investigative reporting. Her work as a journalist has earned her coverage in publications like the Columbia Journalism Review, the Hechinger Report, and the Student Press Law Center. Grace is a member of the Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).

Grace graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media in 2022 with a degree in print and broadcast journalism, and from the University of California at Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism in 2024.