Clerks wrestle to ready ballots

Clerks wrestle to ready ballots

Friday, circuit clerks, who double as voter registrars, got their instructions via conference call with the Secretary of State’s office.

“People should call” about whether absentee ballots are ready, said Lee County Circuit Clerk Joyce Loftin.

Prentiss County’s Mike Kelly agreed.

They represent the two kinds of voter machines used in Northeast Mississippi – Lee County uses a paper ballot scanned by a counter and Prentiss County uses the touch-screen voting machine.

But Kelly said, as soon as he gets his ballot proofing done, his office can print non-scannable ballots for absentees.

Loftin’s in a different situation, saying it’s going to be late next week before she will have ballots.

Friday, she was working closely with the Secretary of State’s Office to get her ballot arranged just right.

“We might get it to the printer today – maybe not,” she said early Friday afternoon.

But both clerks agreed it’s unlikely they will be ready by Monday, which marks the opening of the 45-day window for absentee voting.

NE MS Daily Journal
9/20/8