McComb Mayor Quordiniah Lockley would like to have the Pike County Election Commission oversee the 2022 municipal general election, but selectmen said at Tuesday’s work session that they had other ideas.
In the past, the mayor appointed three inspectors, which is another term for election commissioners, to run the general election.
However, Lockley said he believes the Pike County Election Commission could do a better job because of its experience and efficiency with its resources, including voting machines.
The selectmen are expected to vote on whether to make the change at next Tuesday’s meeting.
Lockley said qualifying for the 2022 election begins Jan. 1 and will end in March.
Prospective candidates can begin the process by going to the city clerk’s office.
Party primaries are May 3 and runoffs are scheduled for May 17.
The general election is June 21 and the next term of office begins July 1.
Lockley said primaries are handled by political parties, but they coordinate with the city to pay for machines and people to work the elections.
He said he and City Administrator David Myers spoke with Pike County Supervisors board attorney Wayne Dowdy about the county running the elections instead of city commissioners.
“I would like the city to adopt an ordinance giving the authority for our elections to be held by the county,” Lockley said. “The county commissioners are constantly trained. The county commissioners already have equipment at their disposal.”
Selectman Devante Johnson disagreed.
“The last couple of elections have been run by election inspectors,” he said. “I spent quite a while this weekend looking into this.”
Johnson questioned the legality of using the Pike County Election Commission.
“Our charter addresses that the mayor shall appoint three election inspectors,” he said.
Johnson said the city clerk, bailiff and inspectors have handled elections the past 20 years and there has not been a problem.
Lockley passed out Mississippi Code 23-15-221 in an attempt to show the city does not have to use its own commissioners for the general election.
He highlighted where it said, “The city council or board of aldermen or other governing authority of any municipality desiring to avail itself of the provisions of the Mississippi Election Code regarding the duties of municipal election commissioners shall adopt an ordinance declaring its intention to enter into an agreement with the municipality’s county to have the county election commissioners conduct municipal elections and other functions that are performed by municipal election commissioners for the benefit of the efficiency and conformity of elections.”
Lockley again expressed his desire to have the county run the election.
“We are a municipality and it is my desire that we avail so this would apply if we want to avail, and that’s what the Secretary of State’s Office said to me today when I spoke to them,” he said.
“This does not apply to McComb,” said Selectman Ronnie Brock. “We have a special charter. You cannot create anything that supersedes the charter. You cannot create an ordinance that supersedes the charter. It gives you direction in the charter about what you want to do.”
City Attorney Marcus Williams plans to follow up on the matter with the state.
“I’ve looked into this. Obviously, in this matter, it is clear in the charter that it says we shall appoint,” he said. “We can avail ourselves. This statute does apply to any municipality. This board could choose to apply this statute.”
Selectman Shawn Williams had two questions of his own.
“What is the reason we should avail ourselves?” he said. “Is it a problem with the way it’s been done in the past?”
Lockley said inspectors only train six months prior to the election, but election commissioners are consistently going through training and have machines available.
Johnson said the city attorney’s comments on the issue next week will determine how he votes.
“I’m going to do a little more research, talk to the city clerk, who’s ultimately responsible for handling these elections,” he said. “I’m going to have a conversation with her this week to try to come up with the easiest way possible and then I’ll vote.”
