MISSISSIPPI: County Clerks Prepare For The Legalization Of Same-Sex Marriage

Via the Clarion-Ledger:

County circuit clerks across the state of Mississippi are preparing for the possibility of potentially thousands of same-sex couples arriving at courthouses to apply for marriage licenses. If U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves strikes down Mississippi's gay marriage ban and does not put a temporary hold on same-sex marriages, county clerks will likely be flooded with long lines and marriage license applications from same-sex couples. "This is all just very interesting," said Barbara Dunn, circuit clerk of Hinds County. "We will just have to take it all in stride and see what the judge rules, but I know that we could work with any rush on the courthouse for licenses." According to 2010 census statistics, 3,484 same-sex couples live in Mississippi, and 417 live in Hinds County. To accommodate a potential rush on the Hinds County Courthouse if Reeves does not grant a stay, Dunn said the only foreseeable major change would be wording on marriage license paperwork, which her office has the authority to change in "under two minutes."

Other clerks interviewed in the above-linked article claim that they will need up to two weeks to change their paperwork.