The Mississippi Democratic Party filed, and then dropped, a DeSoto County voting lawsuit over Election Day problems at polling places. The party asked a DeSoto County circuit judge late Tuesday night to extend voting hours. By Wednesday morning, it asked the court to dismiss the case, and the judge granted that request.
The case was filed in DeSoto County Circuit Court against the county circuit clerk shortly after polls closed at 7 p.m. on Nov. 3, according to Mississippi Today and the Magnolia Tribune. Court records list it as case CI2026-691.
What the DeSoto County Voting Lawsuit Claimed
In its complaint, the party described what it called “substantial disruptions” to voting at multiple DeSoto County polling places. It listed these problems:
Some polling places opened late.
Official ballots ran short. The party said extra ballots were “reportedly delivered intermittently” but that the shortages kept coming back.
Voters faced what the filing called “extraordinary waiting periods.”
Physical obstructions interfered with access to polling locations.
The party said it had received reports that law enforcement officers were checking the IDs of people entering certain polling places, which it said caused delays and potential barriers to access.
The complaint also said a person waiting in line at Minor Memorial United Methodist Church lost consciousness and was taken to a hospital.
“These disruptions have substantially interfered with the ability of qualified electors to exercise their fundamental right to vote during the hours prescribed by Mississippi law,” the party wrote, according to the Magnolia Tribune.
These are allegations in a court filing. The court did not rule on whether they were true, and no response from the DeSoto County Circuit Clerk or the Election Commission had been reported as of Wednesday midday.
What the Party Asked the Court to Do
The party asked for an extension of voting hours where needed, and Mississippi Today reported that it sought an extra hour at certain precincts. It also asked the judge to protect the right of every voter who was in line at 7 p.m. to cast a ballot, and to have any voters who voted only because of an extension use affidavit ballots.
Mississippi Today reported that as of late Tuesday night, well after polls closed, no judge had been assigned to the case. On Wednesday morning, the party moved to dismiss the suit, and the judge granted the motion. Neither report gave a reason for the withdrawal.
Long Lines Reported Across the County
The lawsuit followed a day of heavy turnout and long waits in parts of DeSoto County. In Olive Branch, voters at a College Road precinct waited for hours after equipment problems. Action News 5 reported that at the Seventh-day Adventist Church polling place, voters were told at one point that no machines were available, and later that paper ballots had run out, before more machines arrived. The station said the DeSoto County Election Commission and the Secretary of State’s Office had not responded to its questions.
Final unofficial county numbers show 54,402 ballots cast out of 119,801 registered voters, a turnout of about 45 percent. Democrat Scott Colom carried DeSoto County over U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, 51.8 percent to 45.7 percent, while the statewide Senate race remained too close to call Wednesday.
What Happens Next
Affidavit and remaining absentee ballots still must be reviewed and counted in DeSoto County and across Mississippi before results are certified. With a statewide Senate margin of only dozens of votes, how those ballots are handled in large counties like DeSoto is expected to draw close attention from both campaigns.
