With little of interest or much importance on Tuesday’s ballot in East Mississippi, even the most faithful of voters might be inclined to sit this one out.
Here’s a good reason to vote anyway: Tuesday’s Democratic primary is the first opportunity for voters to use new touchscreen voting machines that have been purchased in most Mississippi counties.
The machines were purchased to get the state in compliance with the Help America Vote Act, a federal law designed to prevent a recurrence of the 2000 presidential election fiasco in Florida, when “hanging chads” entered the American parlance.
A short ballot like Tuesday’s is the perfect opportunity for voters who haven’t taken advantage of recent public demonstrations by election commissioners to get a feel for the new technology. The machines are very user-friendly, but still, voters might prefer their first experience with them to be in a low-key setting. That way, there will be some familiarity when citizens return to the polls for November’s general election.
The only contested race on Tuesday’s ballot in Lauderdale County is the choice of a sacrificial lamb to take on U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. The Democratic contenders — all political lightweights — are state Rep. Erik Fleming, D-Clinton; Long Beach businessman and minister James O’Keefe; Hattiesburg gadfly Catherine M. Starr; and Bill Bowlin, a Hickory Flat business consultant.
Of the four, we prefer Bowlin, who has impressive academic and business credentials. The 50-year-old Bowlin obtained an MBA from Tulane and has spent a couple of decades in the private sector. He’s no stranger to the political arena, having run unsuccessfully for a Northeast Mississippi congressional seat in 1990 and 1994. Bowlin is the Democrats’ best hope against Lott, who, barring an unforeseen scandal, is a shoe-in for re-election to the Senate come November.
Editorials
Check out new voting machines
- Editorials
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- Military cuts and BRAC to challenge leaders
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Governor takes lead on state budget
Sound, principled leadership is needed in times of economic uncertainty.
- A tiny little straight line fracture – the show must go on!
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Fruits of investments becoming evident
Investments by Mississippi State University and the Riley Foundation continue to breathe life into downtown Meridian.
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Questionable decision by outgoing governor
When former Gov. Haley Barbour left office last week he was supposed to enjoy a comfortable legacy as one of Mississippi's most popular governors.
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Election day is right around the corner
Tuesday will be here before you know it.
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East Miss. welcomes new plant with open arms
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The public deserves answers
Sometimes in life we drive down the same road in the wrong direction for miles, too stubborn to admit we need to change course or turn around. Doing so, we believe, will only serve to make our passengers question our ability to drive. They should just trust us.
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