Volunteers in the county are continuing their effort to gain enough signatures of registered voters on a petition to come out from under prohibition. The mission is to get enough signatures on two petitions to get on the ballot to legalize the sale of beer/light wine and hard liquor.
How the process works is there has to be 20% of the qualified voters to sign a petition. Once the petitions are turned into the Circuit Clerk’s office by volunteers, the Circuit Clerk’s staff has to verify signatures to ensure they are qualified voters in the county.
Once enough signatures are obtained, Mississippi law requires the board of supervisors to call an election. If enough signatures are obtained prior to November, the issue will be on the November General Election ballot. If enough signatures are not received by November, then a special election will be held once enough signatures have been received and certified.
All registered voters in Clarke County can sign the petition if they choose, even if they live inside a municipality.
Currently, there are 1,147 signatures and 1,353 additional signatures needed for the sale of beer and light wine.
There are 732 signatures for the sale of hard liquor with 768 additional signatures needed.
If the county votes to go wet, it would be legal to sell alcohol in the county however each municipality would have the option to “opt out” and not allow the sale inside the municipalities. That decision would be up to each board in each of the five municipalities in the county. Petitions can be signed at Mimmos Italian Restaurant, Nelson Tire Center, El Jacinto, Coffee Pot Café and Faye and Buddy’s in Enterprise.
