The group, which includes organizations like Mississippi Votes and the Black Women's Roundtable, is calling on election officials to explain why the ballot shortages occurred and how they're going to prevent these disruptions from impacting future elections.
"Given the unbelievable obstacles that Black people in Mississippi have had to face in order to overcome these barriers and exercise the franchise, we cannot allow these problems, like ballot shortages, to keep folks from voting in Hinds County or anywhere else in Mississippi," Amir Badat, a voting rights attorney at the Legal Defense Fund, said.
The Mississippi Center for Justice recently submitted public records requests with the circuit clerk and election commission for information on how the ballot issues occurred and how officials responded. Center employees say they will use legal action to get those records if the commission does not comply.
Mississippi-based groups aren't the only parties interested in these ballot issues. Rep. Bryan Steil (Style) of Wisconsin, the Republican chair of the House Administration committee has also demanded information. He says these shortages could undermine voting and election confidence in 2024 if changes aren't made.
While the Hinds County issues have garnered the most attention, Harya Tarekegn, the director of advocacy and policy at the Mississippi Center for Justice, says that it wasn't the only area of the state where obstacles got in the way of voters.
"We got lots of calls about improper signage, individuals with disabilities not being able to access the door, about voters not showing up on voting rolls, although they were registered to vote," Tarekegn said. "...It's not a Hinds County problem in and of itself. It's a problem all across the state."
The Hinds County Election Commission will meet on on Tuesday, Dec. 12 10 a.m. at the Hinds County Circuit Courthouse next. The coalition is encouraging voters to attend and provide testimony.
