Attorney General’s Memo to Circuit Clerks

Jim Hood Oct 24 Memo

Attorney General Jim Hood issued a memorandum (above) to Mississippi Circuit Clerks and County Election Commissioners on October 24, 2008, concerning potential issues related to 1) challenged ballot procedures, 2) voter assistance and 3) paper and emergency ballots.

Among other instructions, Hood noted “Challenges are sometimes made arbitrarily as part of an effort to disrupt and delay the voting process.  Be sure your pollworkers know that when they believe a challenge is frivolous or not made in good faith, they may disregard the challenge and allow the voter to vote normally on the voting device.”

He states that if a first-time voter who registered by mail cannot meet the ID requirement, the HAVA laws provide that “he must be permitted to vote by provisional (affidavit) ballot.”

Hood advises that only blind, physically disabled or illiterate voters may have a person accompany them into the voting booth for help — “only after the voter himself has declared his disability and requested assistance, and the managers of the election are satisfied that the claimed disability exists.”

In anticipation of a record voter turnout, Hood advises that each precinct be supplied with sufficient paper ballots for affidavit ballot situations as well as any voting device breakdowns or malfunctions.

Sunday Training Session for Lawyers Set

     Below is the information to join the lawyer training session on Sunday afternoon, November 2, at 2:00 p.m. being conducted from the Butler Snow courtroom  in downtown Jackson. 

Pollwatchers Training Manual

Here is a Pollwatchers Training Manual compiled by the Mississippi Association for Justice from information from the Secretary of State’s Office and other sources.

Credentialed Poll Watchers Manual

Top Ten Things Every Mississippi Poll Manager Should Know

The non-profit group Advancement Project  published an ad in the October 26, 2008, The Clarion-Ledger which gives another take on what Poll Managers should know when they take on the job of running our election process.

Here are the points the group makes:

1.  Most voters are not required to show ID at the polls.

2.  Be creative when checking the poll book for a voter’s name.

3.  Voters have a right to assistance.

4.  Voters who have recently moved must be instructed on where and how to vote.

5.  Affidavit ballots are a last resort.

6.  Inform voters that affidavit ballots cast in the wrong precinct will not be counted.

7.  If the voting machines break down, voters may vote with regular paper ballots.

8.  Keep track of your supplies.

9.  Do not allow voters to be intimidated and take all complaints of voter intimidation seriously.

10.  Voters in line at the poling place at closing time must be allowed to vote.

Here is the full document in pdf format:

Advancement Project Poll Watchers Advice