Mississippi 2025 Regular Session

Mississippi House Bill HB1584 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE 2025 Regular Session To: Apportionment and Elections By: Representative Hurst House Bill 1584 AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-577, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT IN AN NONPARTISAN ELECTION, ANY POLITICAL PARTY THAT IS REGISTERED IN THE STATE SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE REPRESENTED AT THE POLLING PLACE BY TWO CREDENTIALED POLL WATCHERS; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 23-15-571, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. Section 23-15-577, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows: 23-15-577. (1) (a) Each candidate on the ballot shall have the right, either in person or by a credentialed poll watcher, to be present at the polling place. In general and special elections, each political party that has a candidate on the ballot shall have the right to be represented at the polling place by two (2) credentialed poll watchers. (b) In any nonpartisan election, each candidate on the ballot shall have the right, either in person or by a credentialed poll watcher, to be present at the polling place, and each political party registered in the state shall have the right to be represented at the polling place by two (2) credentialed poll watchers. (2) A credentialed poll watcher means a poll watcher of good conduct and behavior, authorized in writing to act as the representative of a candidate on the ballot or political party that has a candidate on the ballot or, in nonpartisan election, that is registered in the state. The written authorization of the candidate or political party must be presented to a poll manager by the certified poll watcher upon arrival at the polling place. (3) Poll managers shall provide candidates and credentialed poll watchers with a suitable position from which they may be able to clearly see and hear the manner in which the election is held. Candidates and credentialed poll watchers shall be authorized to bring their own pollbooks, whether in a print or electronic form, to the polling place during each general and special election. (4) Candidates and credentialed poll watchers shall be allowed to challenge the qualifications of any person offering to vote, and their challenge shall be considered and acted upon by the poll managers. However, candidates and credentialed poll watchers shall not be allowed to interfere in the election process, which shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (a) Communicating with any voter; (b) Physically touching or handling any ballot, absentee ballot envelope, absentee ballot application or affidavit ballot envelope; (c) Viewing or photographing the pollbooks while at the polling place; or (d) Photographing the receipt books while at the polling place. SECTION 2. Section 23-15-571, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows: 23-15-571. (1) The following persons shall be designated as authorized challengers and shall be allowed to challenge the qualifications of any person offering to vote: (a) Any candidate whose name is on the ballot in the precinct in which the challenge is made; (b) Any official poll watcher of a candidate whose name is on the ballot in the precinct in which the challenge is made; (c) Any official poll watcher of a political party for the precinct in which the challenge is made; (d) Any qualified elector from the precinct in which the challenge is made; or (e) Any poll manager or poll worker in the polling place where the person whose qualifications are challenged is offering to vote. (2) The challenge of any authorized challenger shall be considered and acted upon by the poll managers of the election. (3) A person offering to vote may be challenged upon the following grounds: (a) That the voter is not a registered voter in the precinct; (b) That the voter is not the registered voter under whose name the voter has applied to vote; (c) That the voter has already voted in the election; (d) That the voter is not a resident in the precinct where the voter is registered; (e) That the voter has illegally registered to vote; (f) That the voter has removed his or her ballot from the polling place; or (g) That the voter is otherwise disqualified by law. SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.
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3	3	MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
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5	5	2025 Regular Session
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7	7	To: Apportionment and Elections
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9	9	By: Representative Hurst
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11	11	# House Bill 1584
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13	13	AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-577, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT IN AN NONPARTISAN ELECTION, ANY POLITICAL PARTY THAT IS REGISTERED IN THE STATE SHALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE REPRESENTED AT THE POLLING PLACE BY TWO CREDENTIALED POLL WATCHERS; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 23-15-571, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
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15	15	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
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17	17	SECTION 1. Section 23-15-577, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
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19	19	23-15-577. (1) (a) Each candidate on the ballot shall have the right, either in person or by a credentialed poll watcher, to be present at the polling place. In general and special elections, each political party that has a candidate on the ballot shall have the right to be represented at the polling place by two (2) credentialed poll watchers.
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21	21	(b) In any nonpartisan election, each candidate on the ballot shall have the right, either in person or by a credentialed poll watcher, to be present at the polling place, and each political party registered in the state shall have the right to be represented at the polling place by two (2) credentialed poll watchers.
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23	23	(2) A credentialed poll watcher means a poll watcher of good conduct and behavior, authorized in writing to act as the representative of a candidate on the ballot or political party that has a candidate on the ballot or, in nonpartisan election, that is registered in the state. The written authorization of the candidate or political party must be presented to a poll manager by the certified poll watcher upon arrival at the polling place.
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25	25	(3) Poll managers shall provide candidates and credentialed poll watchers with a suitable position from which they may be able to clearly see and hear the manner in which the election is held. Candidates and credentialed poll watchers shall be authorized to bring their own pollbooks, whether in a print or electronic form, to the polling place during each general and special election.
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27	27	(4) Candidates and credentialed poll watchers shall be allowed to challenge the qualifications of any person offering to vote, and their challenge shall be considered and acted upon by the poll managers. However, candidates and credentialed poll watchers shall not be allowed to interfere in the election process, which shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
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29	29	(a) Communicating with any voter;
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31	31	(b) Physically touching or handling any ballot, absentee ballot envelope, absentee ballot application or affidavit ballot envelope;
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33	33	(c) Viewing or photographing the pollbooks while at the polling place; or
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35	35	(d) Photographing the receipt books while at the polling place.
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37	37	SECTION 2. Section 23-15-571, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:
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39	39	23-15-571. (1) The following persons shall be designated as authorized challengers and shall be allowed to challenge the qualifications of any person offering to vote:
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41	41	(a) Any candidate whose name is on the ballot in the precinct in which the challenge is made;
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43	43	(b) Any official poll watcher of a candidate whose name is on the ballot in the precinct in which the challenge is made;
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45	45	(c) Any official poll watcher of a political party for the precinct in which the challenge is made;
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47	47	(d) Any qualified elector from the precinct in which the challenge is made; or
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49	49	(e) Any poll manager or poll worker in the polling place where the person whose qualifications are challenged is offering to vote.
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51	51	(2) The challenge of any authorized challenger shall be considered and acted upon by the poll managers of the election.
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53	53	(3) A person offering to vote may be challenged upon the following grounds:
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55	55	(a) That the voter is not a registered voter in the precinct;
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57	57	(b) That the voter is not the registered voter under whose name the voter has applied to vote;
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59	59	(c) That the voter has already voted in the election;
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61	61	(d) That the voter is not a resident in the precinct where the voter is registered;
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63	63	(e) That the voter has illegally registered to vote;
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65	65	(f) That the voter has removed his or her ballot from the polling place; or
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67	67	(g) That the voter is otherwise disqualified by law.
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69	69	SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.