Municipality’s authority to establish and alter precincts and polling places

The governing authorities of any municipality within the State of Mississippi are hereby authorized and empowered, in their discretion, to divide the municipality into a sufficient number of voting precincts of such size and location as is necessary, and there shall be the same number of polling places. The authority conducting an election shall not be required, however, to establish a polling place in each of said precincts, but such election authorities, whether in a primary or in a general election, may locate and establish such polling places, without regard to precinct lines, in such manner as in the discretion of such authority will better accommodate the electorate and better facilitate the holding of the election. The location of a polling place shall not be altered within sixty (60) days of any primary, general, runoff or special election unless exigent circumstances exist. If the governing authorities find that exigent circumstances exist where a polling place needs to be altered within sixty (60) days of an election, then their reasons for making that decision shall be spread upon the minutes at their next scheduled meeting. When the location of a polling place is altered within sixty (60) days of an election, public notice of the change shall be posted at city hall, the courthouse, the registrar’s office, the previous polling place location if it is a public building, and for three (3) consecutive weeks, or each week before the election if the alteration happens within three (3) weeks of the election in a newspaper that is circulated in the area.