Harrison and Jackson County Commissioners Begin Affidavit Ballot Verification

Election officials in Harrison and Jackson counties began verifying affidavit ballots on Friday. The process involves checking voter data to determine which ballots meet legal requirements before they are counted in the general election.

Harrison County Election Commissioner Becky Payne stated that individual commissioners are researching each affidavit within the statewide election management system. Payne noted that the affidavits contain personal details such as addresses, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers. She explained that neither the affidavit information nor the data in the system is open to the public. "I don’t think the voters who did the affidavit would appreciate it if we allow that information to be seen," Payne said.

Spectators can observe the review process despite the private nature of the data. Angela Trammel, an observer present at the site, said people are receiving voter protection training from various nonprofit organizations to ensure votes are protected. Trammel emphasized the importance of oversight in a close race.

In Jackson County, Chairman Danny Glaskox reported that the commission is processing more than 1,400 affidavit ballots. Glaskox said the final ballot count will not be available until early next week. The review involves more than verifying addresses. Glaskox noted that some voters attempted to vote absentee but also appeared at the precinct to vote an affidavit. Those specific cases must be held for five days.

Glaskox said the commission’s primary goal is to count every legal vote. "Our job is to make sure that if it’s a legal vote, we’re going to count it, regardless of who it’s for," he said.

The Harrison County Election Commission is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. on Nov. 10 to decide whether to accept or deny each ballot. The decision will be based on voter information, registration status, and precinct eligibility. That meeting is open to the public.

Once the commissioners determine which affidavit ballots are valid, the ballots will be secured in a ballot box. They will then be sent to the circuit clerk’s office to be processed by the counting machine.