NATCHEZ — The City of Natchez did not receive approval of its redistricting plan by the end of the day Thursday, something city leaders previously said could delay aldermen elections set for May 1.

No ward lines can be moved 60 days before an election, according to federal voting law, election commission Chairman Larry Gardner said.

However, the city is governed by its own charter and may be exempt from that law, Gardner said.

City Attorney Everett Sanders could not be reached for comment Thursday to explain what the lack of federal approval means for elections.

Without an OK from the U.S. Department of Justice, the city does not know if the ward lines currently defining the aldermen elections will need to be changed or not.

Gardner said adequate notice would still have to be given to affected voters if ward lines change shortly before an election.

Gardner said he does not think the aldermen have the authority to delay the election or remove their race from the ballot because that action might require a decision by a judge.

During the 2000 elections, Gardner said, the election commission sued the Adams County Board of Supervisors because the board wanted to delay the election due to late census data, which delayed redistricting.

Gardner said a supreme court judge ruled in favor of the election commission then, and the election proceeded as scheduled. He said the redistricting plan went into effect for 2004 elections.

Gardner said the city’s special charter and federal law would have to be reviewed by an attorney to determine if the aldermen could legally run without an approved redistricting plan.

Ward 2 Alderman James “Rickey” Gray said he does not believe the aldermen fully understand redistricting and their options for the elections.

“I will have to educate myself further before I comment on what I think is best,” he said.

Ward 3 Alderman Bob Pollard and Ward 4 Alderman Mark Fortenbery both said they would prefer to delay the election if it was possible a second election would be required.

Fortenbery, Pollard and Ward 4 Alderman Ernest “Tony” Fields said a second election would be costly.

Fields said he understood both arguments for either delaying or proceeding with the election.

“Either way is OK with me,” he said. “The people have the right to an election as it is now and a second election would be costly. I think we just need to do what’s fair and right for the people.”

The race for mayor, municipal judge and city clerk — all citywide races — would not be affected.

The City of Natchez submitted its redistricting plan to the justice department on Dec. 21. The department had 60 days to issue an objection to the plan or the city was free to use the plan.

Sanders said last week he was contacted by the department on Feb. 21 — the 60th day for review — for additional information for the plan. The letter from the department stated the 60-day review period would begin again once the department received the additional information, which Sanders said was submitted on Tuesday.