Alderwoman Elizabeth Thomas said she is concerned over the upcoming primary election based on the number of phone calls she has received from frustrated citizens.
“Let the record reflect, this election is going to be contested,” Thomas said, during the recent Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting.
Yazoo City’s primary election will be held on Feb. 1 with a potential runoff on Feb. 22. The general election will be held on the first Monday of April.
However, Thomas said she has received several phone calls concerning absentee ballots. The city clerk’s office announced that absentee ballots are available to the public in their office, which will be open for absentee ballot voting until 5 p.m. each day and from 8 a.m. until noon on Jan. 15, Jan. 22 and Jan. 29.
“I have had some people call me to say that when they go to city hall, it is locked,” Thomas said. “I don’t understand why City Hall continues to be locked. Some people have also said when they call the office, no one answers the phone.”
Thomas suggested that the primary runoff election possibly be moved to a later date. She also requested that the city board attorney ask the secretary of state’s office if that could be a possibility.
“I know for a fact, there are people who are going to be contesting this election,” Thomas said.
Thomas said she asked City Clerk John Carroll about the concerns over citizens who said they have not been able to enter City Hall or get anyone on the phone.
“He told me that his office has handled one call for absentee ballots and one in-person,” she said. “He said he was unaware of any problems. But he did admit the office was having telephone issues at one time, but they were corrected by (Information Technology).”
Thomas said she is not blaming Carroll for the confusion surrounding absentee ballots, adding that it was an issue created by the lack of a city clerk for several months.
“I was told by the secretary of state’s office that not having a city clerk on April 18 put us out of compliance,” Thomas said. “Only then did a true effort begin on finding a city clerk.”
Thomas said Carroll did not arrive as the new city clerk until early November of 2021.
Concerning the upcoming city elections, Thomas said she is also worried about the number of voting machines that will be available.
“We were told that 20 machines were coming,” Thomas said. “But after I looked at the contract to rent the machines, I only saw that four were coming. I could be wrong, but you can’t run a city election with only four machines.”
With no opposition for her post, Thomas admits she could “sit back and do nothing.” But she said there are several concerns that need to be addressed.
