Municipal elections; authorize poll managers from outside city limits of small municipalities poll manager's county.

H. B. No. 630 *HR26/R1409* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Apportionment and
Elections
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Steverson

HOUSE BILL NO. 630

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-231, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO AUTHORIZE THE APPOINTMENT OF A QUALIFIED ELECTOR OF A COUNTY 2
RESIDING OUTSIDE THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF A SMALL MUNICIPALITY 3
LOCATED IN THE COUNTY TO BE APPOINTED A POLL MANAGER FOR MUNICIPAL 4
ELECTIONS; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 23-15-235, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 5
1972, WHICH AUTHORIZES THE APPOINTMENT OF ADDITIONAL POLL MANAGERS 6
IN CERTAIN VOTING PRECINCTS, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; 7
AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. Section 23-15-231, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 10
amended as follows: 11
23-15-231. Before every election, the election commissioners 12
shall appoint three (3) persons for each voting precinct to be 13
poll managers, one (1) of whom shall be designated by the election 14
commissioners as election bailiff. For general and special 15
elections, the poll managers shall not all be of the same 16
political party if suitable persons of different political parties 17
can be found in the district. If any person appointed shall fail 18
to attend and serve, the poll managers present, if any, may 19
designate someone to fill his or her place; and if the election 20
commissioners fail to make the appointments or in case of the 21
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failure of all those appointed to attend and serve, any three (3) 22
qualified electors present when the polls should be opened may act 23
as poll managers. * * * Any person appointed to be poll manager 24
or act as poll manager shall be a qualified elector of the county, 25
or in the case of a municipal election, the municipality, in which 26
the polling place is located; however, in those municipalities 27
having a population of less than two thousand (2,000) according to 28
the latest decennial census, a person who is not a qualified 29
elector of the municipality may be appointed to serve or act as a 30
poll manager in a municipal election so long as that person is a 31
qualified elector of the county in which the municipality is 32
located. 33
SECTION 2. Section 23-15-235, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 34
brought forward as follows: 35
23-15-235. In addition to the poll managers appointed 36
pursuant to Section 23-15-231, for the first five hundred (500) 37
registered voters in each voting precinct, the election 38
commissioners may, in their discretion, appoint not more than 39
three (3) persons to serve as poll managers of the election. The 40
election commissioners may, in their discretion, appoint 41
additional persons to serve as poll managers for each one thousand 42
(1,000) registered voters or fraction thereof in each voting 43
precinct above the first five hundred (500), as determined 44
necessary by the election commissioners and approved by the board 45
of supervisors. Any person appointed as poll manager shall be a 46
H. B. No. 630 *HR26/R1409* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: Municipal elections; authorize poll
managers from outside city limits of small
municipalities poll manager's county.
qualified elector of the county in which the voting precinct is 47
located. 48
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 49
and after July 1, 2026. 50