DeSoto County affidavit ballots from the Nov. 3 general election can be counted no earlier than Tuesday, Nov. 10, after 5 p.m., the DeSoto County Election Commission said Wednesday. That date matters because several races are still close, including the statewide U.S. Senate contest. The commission said it will post the exact date, time and place for counting the affidavit ballots on the county website on Friday, Nov. 6, after 5 p.m.
Why DeSoto County Affidavit Ballots Have to Wait
In its statement, the commission said Mississippi law requires two five-business-day waiting periods, both ending Nov. 10:
Mail-in absentee ballots: ballots postmarked on Election Day can still be received and counted if they arrive within five business days.
Photo ID cures: voters who did not show a photo ID at their precinct and voted by affidavit have five business days to visit the Circuit Clerk’s Office and present a valid photo ID so their vote counts.
Commissioners began verifying each affidavit ballot in SEMS, the Statewide Election Management System, on Wednesday.
Certification Deadline Is Nov. 13
Secretary of State Michael Watson said Wednesday that counties have 10 days from Election Day to submit certified results to his office, making the deadline Nov. 13. Watson said about 3,600 absentee-by-mail ballots were still outstanding statewide, and an unknown number of affidavit ballots still had to be processed. As of Wednesday, 70 of Mississippi’s 82 counties had uploaded unofficial results to SEMS. Watson noted that Mississippi runs elections at the county level, so local circuit clerks and election commissioners are the best source for local results until certification is complete.
What Could Change
DeSoto County’s unofficial count, which included all 47 precincts and the absentee ballots received by election night, is in our final unofficial results post. Late absentee and affidavit ballots could still shift close totals, including:
The U.S. Senate race between Democrat Scott Colom and Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, which was still too close to call statewide Wednesday (latest update).
Local judicial races decided by only a few percentage points.
The counting comes after a rough Election Day at some DeSoto County polling places. Voters told FOX13 they waited anywhere from 40 minutes to roughly three hours, and some said only two or three machines were working at their precinct. FOX13 reported that the number of machines at each site had not been confirmed with county election officials. The state Democratic Party’s emergency lawsuit over the problems was dismissed at the party’s request Wednesday morning.
Voters who cast an affidavit ballot for lack of a photo ID should bring a valid ID to the DeSoto County Circuit Clerk’s Office by Nov. 10. Updates will be posted at desotocountyms.gov.
