MS voting rights groups drop challenge of a judge's Election Day polling hours ruling

After filing a motion with the state Supreme Court to appeal an Election Day decision in Hinds County that in effect was no decision, Mississippi Votes has decided to no longer pursue the appeal.

An attorney with the Mississippi Center for Justice, who filed the notice of appeal for Mississippi Votes, filed a motion Monday seeking a voluntary dismissal.

A call to the Mississippi Center for Justice seeking comment was not immediately returned.

The organizations were seeking legal relief for voters who were unable to cast ballots in the Nov. 7 gubernatorial election when several precincts in Hinds County ran out of ballots. Other issues arose subsequently, including running out of toner when attempting to print more ballots.

The Mississippi Center for Justice, Mississippi Votes and other voting rights organizations filed a lawsuit hoping to extend voting hours to 9 p.m. for four precincts in the county that were most affected by the ballot shortage.

Hinds County appointed a special judge, who wrote in his opinion that the motion was granted in part and dismissed in part, and then he cited Mississippi code word for word, saying the polls would stay open until 7 p.m. Mississippi code allows voters in line at the time polls close to stay and vote, however long it takes.

In a similar lawsuit filed by the Mississippi Democratic Party, another judge ruled all polling places in Hinds County would be allowed to stay open until 8 p.m.

This story was corrected to clarify what time polls were authorized to close.

What happened? These advocates pushed the power of the Black vote in MS. Then came the ballot shortages

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This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: MS Votes, Center for Justice drop election, voting challenge