As election day approaches the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office is fielding questions about voting, such as is it rigged and can absentee ballots be changed?
One of the most common questions Mississippians ask is: where's my polling place? That information is available on the secretary of state's website "Y'all Vote." But what's new this year for Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, is people asking if they can change their absentee ballot. He says it began before last Friday, but picked up after the FBI's controversial announcement about the Hillary Clinton email scandal.
"The way you change your ballot is go cast a vote on election day and they'll reject your absentee ballot, so you can effectively change your ballot in Mississippi, if you want to," said Hosemann.
So far, more than 71,000 absentee ballots have been requested, which is less than the 2012 general election when about 106,000 were issued. Hosemann says his office will have poll watchers in 32 counties and staff from the state attorney general's office will be at 17 locations. Poll watchers representing political parties and the candidates will be at polling places, but they must have written authorization on letter head from their party or candidate to be inside. So, is it possible Mississippi's election is rigged?
"For the upteenth time. I want to tell everybody our voting machines are not linked to the internet. The Russians are not going to steal your vote," said Hosemann.
What about stealing a selfie with a cell phone while voting? Delbert Hosemann says it's against the law--a misdemeanor that will result in a fine. He says voter intimidation or poll watchers roaming behind voters while they're casting their ballots won't be tolerated. People should alert bailiffs at the polling places of any problems. Polls open at 7a.m. and close at 7p.m.
