Mississippi Hinds County Polling Place Hours Extension (Mississippi Votes)

Lawsuit filed on behalf of Mississippi Votes requesting that the Hinds County Circuit Court extend poll hours until 9 p.m. due to ballot shortages on Election Day in four precincts in Hinds County, Mississippi. With over 200,000 residents, Hinds County is also home to the capital city of Jackson, which has an 83% Black population. A separate lawsuit filed by the Mississippi Democratic Party (MDP) asked the Hinds County Chancery Court to extend poll hours for the whole county until 8 p.m. 

On election night, two courts issued two conflicting orders regarding poll hour extensions. In the MDP’s case, the Chancery Court granted the request for all polls in Hinds County to remain open until 8 p.m. 

However, in this case, filed on behalf of Mississippi Votes, the Circuit Court allowed four polling locations to stay open until 9 p.m. but only for people who were in line at 7 p.m., even though the law requires polls to stay open however long is necessary for voters who are in line at the time of poll closures. 

Due to conflicting orders and laws, Mississippi Votes asked the court for reconsideration, which the court denied. On Nov. 8, Mississippi Votes appealed the Circuit Court’s decision to the Mississippi Supreme Court in an attempt to get clarity for future elections. On Nov. 13, 2023, the petitioners voluntarily dismissed their appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

Last updated: November 16, 2023 9:42 am EST