Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann is on a mission.
After viewing a poll that showed 80 percent of Mississippians believed voter fraud had occurred in the last election, and after seeing that his own father, who had been dead six years, had recently "voted," Hosemann is pushing a bill to put a stop to voter fraud in Mississippi.
The voter reform legislation package has already passed the state Senate and is now on its way to the House.
The bill would cause several changes. First, "no-excuse voting" would be implemented. Voters who plan to be out of town on election day would be able to cast their vote at their circuit clerk's office up to 15 days before election day. The vote would not be counted until election day, but could not be changed once cast. This is in an effort to reduce voter fraud that occurs via absentee ballots, and would do away with the ability of an "agent" to pick up another person's absentee ballot.
Students, military, the elderly, the disabled, and others who traditionally vote by absentee ballot would still be able to vote that way, but folks who are just going out of town would have to vote early at the circuit clerk's office.
All Mississippi voters would also be required to re-register after certain time increments in an effort to remove improper names, such as
those of the deceased from the rolls. Casting a vote will count as a re-registration. Voters who do not vote or re-register over a three-year period will be sent a reminder to re-register via mail, and will then have two years to do so before having their names removed from the rolls.
Voter Authentication, a trend that is being picked up by more and more states in the U.S., is also included in the bill. If the bill is passed, voters will be required to show a driver's license or state-issued identification card at the polls before voting. Voter ID cards will be available free to anyone who does not have a driver's license or state ID.
In addition, the law, which requires certain felons to lose their right to vote, will be enforced under the bill, with the steps to remove felons' names from the rolls being taken as soon as a criminal is convicted. The bill will also make voter intimidation at the polls a felony.
"This is a real problem in Mississippi and it needs to be solved," Hosemann said in a telephone interview Monday. "Dead men are voting, people are being indicted for voter fraud. And there is some history here, of people being kept from voting in Mississippi. And we need to fix that."
But one part of Mississippi, which has not presented voter fraud problems, said Hosemann, is Lauderdale County, where he said Circuit Clerk Donna Jill Johnson, Election Commissioner Anne Watts, and the rest of the election commissioner's office have "done an exemplary job" keeping the rolls up to date, and have already implemented some of the changes, such as voter re-registration, proposed in the voter reform bill.
"Lauderdale County is a prototype for other counties" in clean, efficient elections, said Hosemann, and also sets a good example in the delivering of jury duty letters.
"Ninety percent of jury duty letters in Lauderdale County are delivered," said Hosemann. "Statewide, it's 48 percent." Since having fewer jury duty notifications reach their intended recipient means having to send out more of them, "(Donna Jill Johnson) has saved y'all untold dollars by just mailing to the right people."
When implementing changes in election law, "we would rely on how (Lauderdale County) did it and what (Lauderdale County) achieved."
Local News
Voter reform bill headed to House
Lauderdale County “tops in the state” on clean voting
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In memory of those who died
A 21-gun salute is a common part of any Memorial Day program.
But the release of 21 snow white doves representing the peace we enjoy today because of those who have fallen in battle was a rare treat of the Second Annual Memorial Day Program held Monday afternoon at Magnolia Cemetery in Meridian. -
Choctaw Expressions to be showcased
The Mississippi Craft Center will present Choctaw Expressions as the featured cultural and historical exhibit for the month of June.
The presentation will showcase the rich and unique heritage of the Mississippi Choctaw Indians with traditional cultural arts and artifacts. The exhibition is set to open to the public on Friday, June 1 at 10 a.m. The Mississippi Craft Center, located in Ridgeland, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with free admission and will highlight this unique event through June 30. -
Earth’s Bounty Festival Saturday
Residents in the Meridian area will have the opportunity to purchase locally grown or made products throughout the summer and fall through the Earth’s Bounty festival.
The expanded version of the current farmer's market will take place on the first Saturday of every month from June-November at Singing Brakeman Park in Meridian near Union Station. -
WWI soldier’s family receives Purple Heart
About three weeks before the end of WW I, two young officers with the 320 Machine Gun Battalion crept through the battered moonscape of France on a mission to find new positions for their weapons.
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Man dies of gunshot wound
Investigators with the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department are investigating a shooting incident that occurred Saturday morning in which one person died.
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Leading Edges uses technology to enhance advertising
If local advertising agency Leading Edges has its way, pretty soon you will be using your iPhone or iPad to bring its clients' ads to life.
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Meridian soldier to receive posthumous Purple Heart
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Keeping time with the Disabled American Veterans
When you are responsible for transporting area veterans to Jackson to meet their medical appointments, you better be on time.
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