Leflore County election commissioners are set to meet with the Board of Supervisors today to iron out some uncertainties surrounding the upcoming election, but one clear mistake is forcing the county to reprint its ballots.
The current ballot lists state Auditor Phil Bryant, a Republican, in the Democratic bracket.
Bryant said Tuesday he hates for the county to have to go through the expense of reprinting the ballot.
"We just want the ballot to reflect the accuracy of my candidacy and the proper position and the proper party affiliation," Bryant said.
On a sample list of the candidates, which is available at the circuit clerk's office, Bryant is identified as a Republican. But based on the machine ballot grid, Bryant appears to be a Democratic candidate. Each row lists candidates affiliated with a certain party. Democrats for each race are in the top row, followed by Republicans, three lesser known parties and independents. Bryant's name is in the top row.
That's cause enough to reprint the ballot, says Edward Course, the Election Commission's chairman.
"We had five commissioners look over that ballot, and we did not see that," Course said. "That's an error that has to be corrected."
The placement of Bryant's name will be the only change made on the ballot when it heads back to the printer, according to Course. Other concerns that have arisen are not mistakes, only disagreements about election procedures, he said.
On Monday, District 1 Supervisor Phil Wolfe reported that the county's ballots prohibit certain residents affected by incongruities between existing precinct lines and new supervisor districts from voting in their supervisor's race. Their supervisor districts have changed, but their precincts don't reflect those changes, according to Wolfe. So the ballots at the polling places in those precincts don't include the election for their new supervisor.
Last week, incumbents running as independents for supervisor and other county offices complained that their names were at the bottom of the ballot, below blank spaces representing the Constitution, Green and Reform parties.
They contend that the Election Commission has "discretion" over the order of candidates on the ballot. But Course, backed by board attorney Willie Perkins, says state law requires that the ballot follow the design handed down by the official state ballot as close as possible.
"We have complied with state law according to that, and we have to do what state law requires," Course said. "That's all we can do."
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to meet with election commissioners at 4 p.m. today.
