JACKSON, Miss.- Many people were working late last night covering the election, but a woman identified by the Clarion Ledger as a Central Mississippi Tea Party official, was locked inside the Hinds County Courthouse hours after everyone had already left.
The big question left pondering is, “What was she doing there?”
Hinds County Republican Executive Chairman Pete Perry told The Clarion-Ledger that he got a call about 2 a.m. from Janis Lane who said she and another person were locked inside the courthouse and couldn’t get out.
Election officials said they went home around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Hinds County Election Commissioner Connie Cochran said security told her that three people went to the courthouse about 12:30 a.m. to observe the election process. They walked around the building until they found an unlocked door, which locked behind them once they went inside, Cochran said. The trio claimed they walked around the courthouse for about 90 minutes looking for a way to get out and then called Perry, Cochran said.
Deputies went to the courthouse after receiving a call from Perry that the woman was locked inside. Othor Cain, the department’s spokesman, said the ballots were locked up, but Perry said that not all of the precinct information was sealed because they still needed to count the affidavit ballots Wednesday.
Perry said, Lane was a precinct worker during Tuesday’s primary election and had dropped off her ballot materials about 8:30 p.m. and then left.
