U.S. Judge Daniel Jordan III dismissed the federal lawsuit filed in August. It sought to increase early voting opportunities during COVID-19’s pandemic. Watson, who oversees state elections, was named as a defendant in this suit. However, the lawsuit was not dismissed. The voter must be notified by election officials about any problems with the signature verification of the absentee ballot. This correspondence will then be sent to the voter and they have 10 days in which to rectify it. To correct the problem, the voter should receive an “absentee remedy form”. Election officials must also provide curbside voting options for those with COVID-19 symptoms and/or coronavirus exposure. Jennifer Nwachukwu (an attorney representing the Lawyers’ Commitee for Civil Rights Under Law), one of the plaintiffs in this lawsuit, said that Mississippi has adopted procedures to protect voters from having their ballots rejected arbitrarily. “Just because Mississippi has a record number voting by mail this year doesn’t mean that there should be a record amount of disenfranchised voters. This is a significant victory in protecting our election integrity and ensuring that the voice of the people can be heard. READ MORE: Mississippi poised to break the absentee voting record for 2020. The Lawyers’ Committee of Civil Rights Under Law, Southern Poverty Law Center, and other groups that filed the lawsuit said they expect the Watson changes to continue in force after the pandemic. Two lawsuits were filed this year to increase early voting opportunities for those who wish to avoid overcrowding precincts on Election Day. These lawsuits have not succeeded in ensuring that all Mississippians are able to vote early. This year, the Legislature amended state law to allow people in quarantine due to the coronavirus and caretakers of those in quarantine to vote early. According to the Democracy Initiative however, Mississippi is the only state that did not allow all citizens to vote early during pandemic. READ MORE: “Practices intended to suppress the vote.” Mississippi is the only state that does not allow all citizens to vote early during a pandemic. Mississippians cannot vote early in most cases if they are disabled, elderly or away from their homes on Election Day. Mississippi is the only state that requires both a mail in ballot and an application to mail in a ballot to be notarized. Governor Tate Reeves and other state officials have maintained that people will be able to vote safely at the polls on Nov. 3. Tate Reeves and other state officials have stated that voters will be able vote in safety at the polls on November 3. Watson’s office stated that masks will be encouraged, but not required at the polls. Poll workers will also wear masks and other personal protective equipment. A sanitizer and special pens for signing in and marking the ballot will also be available at the polls. Watson stated earlier this year that these will be the safest and cleanest precincts Mississippi voters ever saw. Watson’s office didn’t immediately respond to Watson’s announcement by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights about the changes he had made.