Richland, Ms: Beer And Election Day Traditions

Mississippi municipalities are allowed to restrict beer sales on Election Day. Only municipalities can restrict election-day beer sales, not the state. Some stores have been known to refuse to sell beer on Election Day, citing an old state law that was repealed decades ago.

Election Day beer sales confusion in Mississippi

Mississippi municipalities are allowed to restrict beer sales on Election Day. This has led to confusion over state and local rules regulating alcohol on the day, with some grocers in Mississippi refusing to sell beer and light wine on Tuesday, citing an old state law that had been repealed some two decades ago and which never had applied to low-alcohol content beverages anyway.

Only municipalities can restrict election-day beer sales, not the state, according to the Mississippi Department of Revenue's Alcoholic Beverage Control division. The Clarion-Ledger checked the ordinances of 25 cities and found only one – Brandon – that bans election-day beer sales.

Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton confirmed his city has no ordinance against election-day beer sales. One or two stores usually call to double-check each Election Day, he said, but none called this week.

Flowood itself has no ordinance against election-day beer sales, said police Chief Johnny Dewitt. Callers also rely on the state Department of Revenue for help navigating the subject, said spokeswoman Kathy Waterbury.

Any municipality with a population of at least 2,500 people may vote to allow or prohibit the sale of beer within that municipality. The election will be called upon receipt by the governing authority of the city of a petition signed by 20% of the qualified electors of the city.

Local laws regulating alcohol on Election Day

Mississippi municipalities are allowed to restrict beer sales on Election Day. Only municipalities can restrict election-day beer sales, not the state, according to the Mississippi Department of Revenue's Alcoholic Beverage Control division.

Any municipality with a population of at least 2,500 people may vote to allow or prohibit the sale of beer within that municipality. The election will be called upon receipt by the governing authority of the city of a petition signed by 20% of the qualified electors of the city.

Confusion over state and local rules regulating alcohol stiffed some residents out of a cold brew, and likely cut into store profits, this Election Day. Several grocers in Mississippi refused to sell beer and light wine on Tuesday, citing an old state law that had been repealed some two decades ago and which never had applied to low-alcohol content beverages anyway.

One or two stores usually call to double-check each Election Day, he said, but none called this week. Callers also rely on the state Department of Revenue for help navigating the subject, said spokeswoman Kathy Waterbury. "That was about 20 or 25 years ago that they've repealed that, " she said. "But some people have just never let it go."

Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton confirmed his city has no ordinance against election-day beer sales. "It was a miscommunication, said Wal-Mart corporate spokeswoman Betsy Harden. "There were a few sales yesterday morning that were refused for about 45 minutes, tops. We corrected it by 9 a.m."

Beer sales restrictions on Election Day

Mississippi municipalities are allowed to restrict beer sales on Election Day. Only municipalities can restrict election-day beer sales, not the state, according to the Mississippi Department of Revenue's Alcoholic Beverage Control division. Any municipality with a population of at least 2,500 people may vote to allow or prohibit the sale of beer within that municipality. The election will be called upon receipt by the governing authority of the city of a petition signed by 20% of the qualified electors of the city.

Confusion over state and local rules regulating alcohol stiffed some residents out of a cold brew, and likely cut into store profits, this Election Day. Several grocers in Mississippi refused to sell beer and light wine on Tuesday, citing an old state law had been repealed some two decades ago and which never had applied to low-alcohol content beverages anyway.

Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton confirmed his city has no ordinance against election-day beer sales. "It was a miscommunication, said Wal-Mart corporate spokeswoman Betsy Harden. "There were a few sales yesterday morning that were refused for about 45 minutes, tops. We corrected it by 9 a.m."

Flowood itself has no ordinance against election-day beer sales, said police Chief Johnny Dewitt. One or two stores usually call to double-check each Election Day, he said, but none called this week.

Only municipalities can restrict election-day beer sales, not the state, according to the Mississippi Department of Revenue's Alcoholic Beverage Control division.

repealed laws regulating alcohol on Election Day

Mississippi municipalities are allowed to restrict beer sales on Election Day. The state law that regulated alcohol was repealed two decades ago and never applied to low-alcohol content beverages. Only municipalities can restrict election-day beer sales, not the state, according to the Mississippi Department of Revenue's Alcoholic Beverage Control division.

Confusion over state and local rules regulating alcohol stiffed some residents out of a cold brew, and likely cut into store profits, this Election Day. Several grocers in Mississippi refused to sell beer and light wine on Tuesday, citing an old state law that had been repealed some two decades ago and which never had applied to low-alcohol content beverages anyway.

Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton confirmed his city has no ordinance against election-day beer sales. It was a miscommunication, said Wal-Mart corporate spokeswoman Betsy Harden. There were a few sales yesterday morning that were refused for about 45 minutes, tops. We corrected it by 9 a.m.

Flowood itself has no ordinance against election-day beer sales, said police Chief Johnny Dewitt. One or two stores usually call to double-check each Election Day, he said, but none called this week. Callers also rely on the state Department of Revenue for help navigating the subject, said spokeswoman Kathy Waterbury. That was about 20 or 25 years ago that they've repealed that, she said. But some people have just never let it go.

Any municipality with a population of at least 2,500 people may vote to allow or prohibit the sale of beer within that municipality. The election will be called upon receipt by the governing authority of the city of a petition signed by 20% of the qualified electors of the city.

Beer sales revenue on Election Day

Mississippi municipalities are allowed to restrict beer sales on Election Day. Only municipalities can restrict election-day beer sales, not the state, according to the Mississippi Department of Revenue's Alcoholic Beverage Control division. Any municipality with a population of at least 2,500 people may vote to allow or prohibit the sale of beer within that municipality.

In 2014, several grocers in Mississippi refused to sell beer and light wine on Election Day, citing an old state law that had been repealed some two decades ago and which never had applied to low-alcohol content beverages anyway. The Clarion-Ledger checked the ordinances of 25 cities and found only one – Brandon – that bans election-day beer sales.

In the same year, there was a miscommunication at a Wal-Mart in Tupelo, where a few beer sales were refused for about 45 minutes, but this was corrected by 9 a.m. The police chief in Flowood said that his city has no ordinance against election-day beer sales, and that one or two stores usually call to double-check each Election Day, but none called that week.

It is unclear how much revenue those stores lost from skipping a day of beer sales, but wholesale beer sales statewide generated more than $489 million in 2013 alone, according to Department of Revenue figures.

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