US House Representative Bryan Steil (WI-01) has recently called for action to prevent future electoral disruptions, following an investigation into ballot shortages that affected voting in Hinds County, Mississippi. The representative’s letter seeks information on the steps taken by the Hinds County Election Commission to avert future ballot shortages, ensure correct ballot styles for all precincts, prepare for the upcoming federal elections in 2024, and rebuild voter trust by guaranteeing the availability of correct ballots for in-person voting.
In his letter, Steil said: “According to media reports, several precincts in Hinds County ran out of ballots early in the morning, forcing voters to wait in line for hours. To make matters worse, some precincts that requested additional ballots were sent incorrect ballots. Although a court order allowed polls to remain open to give voters additional time to vote, some voters may still not have been able to vote. This is completely unacceptable and does not inspire Americans’ confidence in our nation’s elections.”
Steil’s letter also points out that Mississippi law mandates each county election commission chair is responsible for printing all required ballots and obtaining voter registration numbers from the registrar at least 10 days prior to an election. Consequently, there are concerns about similar issues reoccurring in the forthcoming federal election.
According to a WLBT3 news report, Steil chairs the House Administration Committee which oversees U.S. federal elections. After the November election, Hinds County election commissioners confessed they used incorrect voter data for ballot orders. They attributed this issue to inadequate training from the Republican Secretary of State’s office, despite assertions of uniform training for all county election commissioners across the state.
Steil’s letter concludes with a request for a response from the Hinds County Election Commission no later than December 19, 2023.
