McCARLEY — Some McCarley voters are objecting to the move of the small Carroll County community’s polling place, saying it was done to make it less convenient for blacks to vote.
But the county supervisor for the area says the new location is cleaner and more accessible and allows county employees to continue their jobs without interruption.
With U.S. Justice Department approval, the county recently switched the location from the Beat 1 barn to McAnerney’s Restaurant about 0.8 miles away.
According to McCarley resident James Dukes, the barn is in a 100 percent black area of small homes and trailers holding 25 to 30 voters, many of whom Dukes said formerly walked to the voting place. He said Beat 1 Supervisor Terry Herbert wanted the location changed to make it harder for nearby residents to cast a ballot.
“Terry has conceded to the black votes especially around the county barn. He’s conceded to that, and he is making it difficult — well, I won’t say difficult — he’s making it not as easy, not as convenient (to vote),” Dukes said.
On Feb. 28, Herbert asked the Board of Supervisors to switch the voting location. Supervisors voted unanimously to petition the U.S. Justice Department for the change, and the board announced last week that the Justice Department had approved the move.
Based on outward appearances, McAnerney’s is the preferred place to hold an election. The restaurant is closed during the week and has ample parking. The county barn, on the other hand, is surrounded by heavy machinery used for road work. “This is a work station. You’ve got equipment coming in and out all the time. It got to be a safety issue,” Herbert said.
He said he wasn’t aware of any black voters walking to the polls and said black voters or white voters could walk to where it is now if they chose.
The county is renting the restaurant for $200, Herbert said. Carroll County is already renting other polling places, including the Jefferson precinct, he said.
Herbert said it would cost $1,600 in labor to have the McCarley precinct at the barn because it delays road and bridge workers for two days.
But Joseph Simpson Jr. of McCarley, a retiree who worked a dozen years at the Beat 1 barn, said Election Day never posed a problem to him or others. On the day before voting, they would get any needed machinery from the barn and move it to the work site, he said. The next morning, they’d drive to work, vote and leave to the job site.
Simpson, who is black, said the change wouldn’t be a problem for him because he can drive, but he said it could affect others.
Dukes, who is also black, said no notice was given of the change other than stories in the newspaper. He said the move sounded from those articles like a done deal in which no one was given a chance to dissent. He also questioned paying the restaurant rent versus using the county-owned barn.
A Justice Department spokesperson did not respond to emails seeking comment.
Federal approval is required for all changes affecting voting in Mississippi because of the state’s history of racial discrimination.
- Contact Charlie Smith at csmith@gwcommonwealth.
com.
