OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. — Olive Branch voters waited in long lines for much of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at a polling place on College Road. The trouble began when one of the precinct’s two voting machines stopped working, WREG reported from the site. DeSoto County election officials said the problem was fixed later in the day and a third machine was brought in to help move the line.
Election commissioners also told the station that the lines reflect heavier-than-usual turnout for a midterm, not just the equipment problem.
What Olive Branch voters ran into
According to WREG’s report, voters at the College Road location saw a line stretching outside the building for most of the day. With one of only two machines down, voting at the precinct slowed to a crawl until the equipment was repaired.
Where: A polling place on College Road in Olive Branch
The problem: One of two voting machines stopped working earlier in the day
The fix: The election commission said the machines were repaired and a third machine was added
Another factor: County election commissioners pointed to higher turnout
The Olive Branch problem wasn’t the only one reported in the county. Mississippi Votes, a nonprofit that runs an Election Day hotline, told Mississippi Today its hotline got a flurry of calls Tuesday morning, including reports of machine malfunctions in DeSoto County. The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office said Tuesday afternoon that its own hotline had a high volume of calls statewide about late-opening precincts, voting machines that were temporarily down, and voters having trouble verifying their registration.
As of Tuesday evening, the DeSoto County Election Commission had not released a list of affected precincts or wait times.
If you’re still in line at 7 p.m.
Polls in Mississippi close at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Anyone in line by 7 p.m. still has the right to vote, so stay in line even if closing time passes before you reach the front.
Bring an acceptable photo ID. Mississippi requires one to vote in person.
If your name isn’t on the rolls or you moved within the county without updating your address, ask for an affidavit ballot. The Election Commission reviews those ballots after the polls close.
Report problems at the polls to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Elections Hotline at 1-800-829-6786.
Storms could add to the wait
Weather may make the final hours harder. The National Weather Service in Memphis has been forecasting rain and storms moving through the Mid-South Tuesday evening, so voters heading out after work should bring an umbrella and plan for possible delays on the roads.
DeSoto County’s ballot includes the U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Scott Colom, along with congressional, judicial, and local races. Results are expected to start coming in after polls close at 7 p.m. DeSoto County News will post local results as they become available.
