MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2023 Regular Session

To: Apportionment and Elections; County Affairs

By: Representatives Wallace, Byrd, Summers, Karriem

House Bill 552

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-227, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCREASE THE POLL MANAGERS COMPENSATION TO ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS; TO INCREASE THE COMPENSATION OF THE POLL MANAGERS WHO CARRY AND RETURN THE BALLOTS TO THIRTY DOLLARS; TO MAKE A MINOR, NONSUBSTANTIVE CHANGE; TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-229, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO MAKE A MINOR, NONSUBSTANTIVE CHANGE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  Section 23-15-227, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     23-15-227.  (1)  The poll managers shall be each entitled to * * *Seventy‑five Dollars ($75.00) One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150.00) for each election; however, the board of supervisors may, in its discretion, pay the poll managers an additional amount not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) per election.

 * * * (2)  The board of supervisors may, in its discretion, pay the poll managers an additional amount not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) per any election occurring from July 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020, which shall be considered additional pandemic pay.

     ( * * *32)  The poll manager who shall carry to the place of voting, away from the courthouse, the official ballots, ballot boxes, pollbooks and other necessities, shall be allowed  * * *Ten Dollars ($10.00) Thirty Dollars ($30.00) for each voting precinct for so doing.  The poll manager who acts as returning officer shall be allowed  * * *Ten Dollars ($10.00) Thirty Dollars ($30.00) for each voting precinct for that service.  If a person who performs the duties described in this subsection uses a privately owned motor vehicle to perform them, he or she shall receive for each mile actually and necessarily traveled in excess of ten (10) miles, the mileage reimbursement rate allowable to federal employees for the use of a privately owned vehicle while on official travel.

     (4)  The compensation authorized in this section shall be allowed by the board of supervisors, and shall be payable out of the county treasury; provided, however, that any compensation for additional pandemic pay due to a public health emergency may be payable from federal funds available for such purpose, or a combination of both county and federal funding sources.

     (5)  The compensation provided in this section shall constitute payment in full for the services rendered by the persons named for any election, whether there be one (1) election or issue voted upon, or more than one (1) election or issue voted upon at the same time.

     (6)  The Secretary of State shall promulgate rules and regulations as are necessary to ensure the safety of poll managers, election commissioners, electors and their families at the voting precincts during a COVID-19 public health risk or other public health risk declared by the Governor where the appearance of such persons may result in exposure to such risk or the exposure of other persons to such risk.

     SECTION 2.  Section 23-15-229, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

     23-15-229.  The compensation for poll managers and other workers in the polling places of a municipality shall be the same as the compensation paid by the county for those services; provided, however, that the governing authorities of a municipality shall not be required to pay any additional compensation authorized by the board of supervisors.  The governing authorities of a municipality may, in their discretion, pay clerks and poll managers in the polling places of the municipality an additional amount of compensation not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) per election * * * and may pay clerks and poll managers in the polling places of the municipality an additional amount of compensation not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) per any election which occurs from July 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020, which shall be considered additional pandemic pay.  Such compensation shall be payable out of the county general fund, and may be payable from federal funds available for such purpose, or a combination of both funding sources.

     SECTION 3.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2023.