Mississippi Running Out of Ballots in Black-Majority Areas Raises Questions

The re-election of Mississippi's Republican Governor Tate Reeves on Tuesday was marred by reports of ballots running out across the majority-Black Hinds County, which resulted in a judge ordering polls to remain open for another hour.

Taking to Twitter, formerly X, Democratic challenger Brandon Presley conceded defeat commenting: "While tonight's result wasn't what we wanted, I'm more confident than ever in our people. May God bless Gov. Reeves in his victory and this great state." Presley, a second cousin of music legend Elvis Presley, had hoped to become the first Democratic governor of Mississippi for 20 years with one poll putting him just one point behind the incumbent.

In Hinds County, the most populous county in Mississippi which the U.S. Census Bureau records is 73.5 percent Black and traditionally votes Democratic, there were widespread reports of polling stations running out of ballots, amid high turnout, resulting in some residents waiting several hours to cast their votes.

Reeves had won 52 percent of the vote, to Presley's 46.6 percent, with 86 percent of the vote counted, according to NBC News.

Ashton Pittman, news editor of local publication the Mississippi Free Press, tweeted: "At least 9 precincts in Hinds County—Mississippi's most populous county and the home of the 83%-Black capital city of Jackson—have run out of ballots in the statewide election."

Ross Adams, who works for local network WAPT, recorded ballots running out in the Hinds County town of Clinton at the Pineview Baptist church, Wildwood Baptist church, Northside Baptist church, Pine Haven Baptist church, Clinton YMCA along with St. Thomas Baptist church in Bolton.

Footage of a long line of voters waiting in the dark outside Wildwood Baptist Church was posted on X by Brendan Hall from broadcaster WLBT, were it received more than 1.2 million views. He commented: "The line at Wildwood Baptist Church in Clinton currently. Some voters who just cast their ballot had waited for 2 and a half hours. I'm told this polling location has run out of ballots at least 5 times and have been restocked w/ less than 100 ballots every couple hours."

"I believe that the Secretary of State's office and county elections office were simply not prepared for the overwhelming, amazing turnout we are seeing in Hinds County. We are not seeing any of these issues in any other precincts in any other counties, to this degree," Jason McCarty, a member of the Hinds County Democratic Party Executive Committee, told CNN.

Hinds County Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas extended voting in the county for one hour, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., in response to a lawsuit filed by the Mississippi Democratic Party.

He wrote: "A number of precincts in Hinds County ran out of ballots during election day and are continuing to run out of ballots and others may run out going forward. It takes time to deliver more ballots to the precincts. Because of the disruption this has caused, the Court grants the motion of the Plaintiff to extend the closing hours in Hinds County from 7 PM to 8PM."

Newsweek has reached out to Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson, a Republican who is responsible for overseeing elections in the state, for comment via the online contact form on his official website. The campaigns of Governor Reeves and Presley have also been contacted for comment by email.

Ahead of the election Reeves received a video endorsement from former president, and 2024 Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump who said: "Joe Biden wants to put his candidate and this is his candidate, Brandon Presley, in as Mississippi's governor. The citizens of Mississippi must not let that happen."

In a shock move ahead of the poll, U.K.-based bookmakers Betfair made Presley the odds on favorite to win the contest, putting him on 4/7 versus 11/8 for Reeves.