Thread by @ashtonpittman

IMPORTANT: We have yet *ANOTHER* unreported, unlisted polling place change in Mississippi—this time in Hinds County's Precinct 45.

Multiple voters told us they went to vote at their polling place this morning only to find it's no longer a polling place. 1/mississippifreepress.org/28941/mississi…

This a.m., @bluecanarykit told us she went to vote at McLeod Elementary, only to be told Precinct 45 had moved to St. Philip's Church.

I called Hinds Circuit Clerk's office at 11:21 am, where an official insisted Precinct 45 was still at McLeod. NOPE. 2/
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Later, another voter told @MSFreePress they, too, were turned away at McLeod Elementary and told to vote at St. Philip's Episcopal Church.

I called the circuit clerk's office back at 12:29 p.m. An official again said McLeod was the correct location. 3/
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Asked the Circuit Clerk's office why voters would report otherwise; The official said to call the Hinds County Election Commission.

So I called the Election Commission at 12:32 p.m., where an official said the precinct is still at McLeod Elementary. 4/
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When I asked the Election Commission why voters would keep reporting that they were turned away when they went to vote at McLeod if it hadn't moved, the official engaged in conversation with others in the office. There was some confused shouting. 5/
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Finally, an Election Commission official said that they have, indeed, moved Precinct 45 back to St. Philip's Episcopal Church.

But all of the known lists Hinds County has provided and what they put into the statewide SOS database, SEMS, says McLeod. 6/
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If you're a Mississippi voter, you can use the SOS polling place locator to find your polling place. But it might be wrong.

You can ask your local circuit clerk. But they might be wrong.

You can call the election commission. But they might be wrong. 7/
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Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson says that he doesn't have the authority to issue rules requiring local officials to provide timely and accurate polling place information because Mississippi is a “bottom-up state” for elections.
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Providing Mississippians with an accurate list of voting precincts and identifying the unreported changes is hard work, y'all. @_wspittman and I have been at it since 2020.

Please support our nonprofit newsroom by following @MSFreePress and donating at mfp.ms/donate.

Thank you @bluecanarykit and @0golfer for helping us identify this change.

Mississippi Secretary of State tells me they just confirmed the unreported change at Precinct 45 from McLeod Elementary to St. Philip's Episcopal Church and added:

"We will work with the local election officials to provide updated information to voters."
mississippifreepress.org/28990/all-poll…

On the bright side, we don't have to worry about the Mississippi Polling Place Locator sending any more voters to the wrong address because the Secretary of State's website has gone down on #ElectionDay.