Judge orders special election for a Hinds County supervisor seat
Special Judge Barry Ford ruled Wednesday in favor of a claim by former Hinds County Supervisor David Archie that materials from the 2023 Democratic primary were not handled properly, making the winner unverifiable.
Ford ordered a special election for the District 2 seat within 45 days, finding that significant errors occurred in the safekeeping of ballots. He also cited Circuit Clerk Zack Wallace’s testimony about the lack of a chain of custody of voter materials.
“I cannot determine the will of the voters, ” Ford said. “And case law says when the will of the voters can not be determined, then a do-over is required.”
The district’s current supervisor Anthony “Tony” Smith will remain in office during the time leading up to the special election. Smith told Mississippi Today that he has no plan to appeal the ruling, and that he is sure he can beat Archie again.
https://mississippitoday.org/2026/06/03/judge-orders-election-hinds-county-supervisor/