Harrison County weighs fate of 1,400 provisional ballots
Commissioners spent Tuesday night reviewing each affidavit vote, drawing scrutiny from local officials over missing signatures and registration errors.
By Alessia Romano ·
The Harrison County Election Commission began a tedious review of 1,400 provisional ballots at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. The staff worked late into the night, examining each affidavit vote cast during last week's midterm elections to determine eligibility.
Commissioners checked voter registration status and precinct assignments for every ballot. Voting rights groups and community members observed the proceedings in real time, watching as commissioners decided which votes would be certified and which would be rejected.
Several observers noted discrepancies in the decision process. They pointed to instances where ballots were thrown out due to missing poll worker signatures. Carrissa Corbett, a Gulfport Ward 6 City Councilwoman who attended the review, said the atmosphere in the room was charged with questions.
"Everyone is questioning everything," Corbett said. "We want to make sure every eligible voter's vote counts, and that's what everybody wants in the room. So, the thing that we are not seeing here is people being fair. The lack of fairness here.. that's what we're experiencing."
Corbett added that while the group heard both positive and negative reports, the primary focus remained on ensuring no eligible vote was lost. The observers stated they had been present for the entire duration of the review.
Mississippi counties must certify their totals and report the numbers to the state by Friday, November 13.
