MS Elections & Voting

2012-03-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

March 19, 2012
Miss. voter ID law under fire

DEBORAH BARFIELD BERRY
Gannett Washington Bureau
Mississippi officials, undeterred by the federal government's rejection of a new voter ID law in Texas, are moving ahead with plans to put a similar law in place by the November election.
"We are concentrating our efforts on implementation," said Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. "We're confident we're going to meet the constitutional standards."
The law requires voters to show a government-issued photo ID before casting a ballot.
Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and a host of civil rights and voting rights groups are urging federal officials to reject the law, saying it could turn away millions of minority voters.
They're encouraged by the Justice Department's March 12 decision on the Texas law, which also requires a government-issued photo ID. Justice officials said the law could disenfranchise Hispanic voters, many whom lack such identification.
"It is unconscionable to think that creating a barrier, which has the potential of eliminating citizens from the voting process, is a fair and just plan for correcting the problems within this system," Thompson wrote this month to Attorney General Eric Holder.
One backer of the state's law, Republican Rep. Steven Palazzo, said it's designed to prevent voter fraud, discrimination and partisan influence.
"Whether it be immigration or border security or voting procedures, our Department of Justice should be more concerned with upholding the law rather than suing states on the taxpayer dime," Palazzo said.
Mississippi is one of the latest states to approve a measure requiring residents to show a government-issued ID before voting.
Because the state has a history of discriminatory voting practices, it's required by the 1965 Voting Rights Act to get Justice Department approval before making election changes.
Mississippi officials submitted the state's voter ID law to the Justice Department on Jan. 4. Federal officials say they're waiting for state lawmakers to approve enabling legislation before they determine whether the law complies with the Voting Rights Act.
Opponents said they hope the rejection of the Texas law will send a message to other states that have adopted similar laws. Justice officials also rejected South Carolina's voter ID law in December and recently opposed a law in Florida that places certain restrictions on third-party groups registering voters.
"The department's action is the third strike against the widespread efforts to suppress voting in many states," said Myrna Perez, a senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law.
Mississippi lawmakers are working on legislation to implement its voter ID law, including how to pay for it. Election officials hope the measure will be approved by the end of April.
Meanwhile, election officials are meeting with stakeholders, including faith-based groups, to inform voters about the new law and how to get photo IDs. More than 120 locations throughout the state will provide access to free IDs, Hosemann said.
"We're taking the right steps," said Hosemann, who met with Justice Department officials soon after Mississippi voters overwhelmingly approved the initiative last November. "We are trying to be proactive."
Mississippi has worked to address some issues raised in the Texas case, Hosemann said. For example, he said, officials are working to make sure state residents can obtain, free of charge, birth certificates and other records proving eligibility to vote. Those records, often required to get photo IDS, can cost $22.
Hosemann also noted that obtaining such records is more difficult in Texas, where record offices are much further apart. He said voters in Mississippi will be able to get free photo IDS at county circuit clerk offices, and almost everyone lives "just a few minutes from a county courthouse."

Mississippi: Republican Results By County

2012-03-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

Mississippi Last Updated at 10:27 AM ET Republican Results By County Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/primary-election-results-2012/county.shtml?state=MS&race=P&jurisdiction=0&party=R

Mississippi: Exit Poll for Republican Race

2012-03-14T07:27:00.001-07:00

Mississippi Last Updated at 10:26 AM ET Exit Poll for Republican Race Read more...

Republican Delegate Count

2012-03-14T07:24:00.005-07:00

Republican Delegate Count

Republican Popular Vote Count

2012-03-14T07:24:00.003-07:00

Republican Popular Vote Count

GOP fight now Romney vs. Santorum; Gingrich lags

2012-03-14T07:24:00.001-07:00

GOP fight now Romney vs. Santorum; Gingrich lags By KASIE HUNT Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- The Republican presidential contest trudged into Puerto Rico Wednesday as a two-man race, with Rick Santorum nipping more aggressively at Mitt Romney's heels after again frustrating the front-runner in Southern primaries. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, with little to show for pinning his hopes on the South, was all but relegated to an asterisk in the contest even as he vowed to stay in. His deputy campaign manager outlined a strategy aimed at denying Romney a clean win before the Republican convention in August and making Gingrich's case to delegates along the way. But after winning Tuesday's primaries in Alabama and Mississippi, Santorum called for the party's faithful to unite behind him instead. "Now is the time to pull together," Santorum declared to conservatives in Lafayette, La. "We are campaigning everywhere there are delegates because we are going to win this nomination before the convention." Unbowed, Romney issued a statement noting his strong lead in the delegate race, saying, "I am pleased that we will be increasing our delegate count in a very substantial way after tonight." Earlier Tuesday, in an interview with CNN, Romney had said Santorum was "at the desperate end of his campaign." Romney fared much better in the night's two Pacific island contests. He salvaged a win in the Hawaii caucuses and won the support of all nine delegates at GOP caucuses in American Samoa, maintaining his dominance in sweeping up delegates. The race now turns to Puerto Rico, which holds a primary Sunday. Santorum flew here fresh off his Southern victories, and planned events over the next two days. Romney wasn't slated to arrive in the U.S. territory until the end of the week, after spending two days in New York City to raise money. Romney's seemingly unassailable delegate lead left his opponents' campaigns talking about less orthodox ways to stop him. John Brabender, senior strategist for the Santorum campaign, said many of the delegates weren't bound and could still switch their votes to Santorum. Suggesting it's time for Gingrich to make way, Brabender told CNN Wednesday morning that the message was going out to tea party and conservative voters: "Let's make sure our voice is louder than the minority of the party who wants Mitt Romney." Tuesday night's results marked the continuation of a long, hard-fought Republican nomination fight - and underscored Romney's persistent weakness with conservatives, particularly in the GOP's regional stronghold of the Deep South. Together, Santorum and Gingrich accounted for huge majorities of votes in both states, prompting Gingrich to crow: "The fact is, in both states, the conservative candidates got nearly 70 percent of the vote. If you're the front-runner and you keep coming in third, you're not much of a front-runner." While Romney has enjoyed huge organizational and financial advantages, he is struggling to connect with a conservative GOP base that looks skeptically on his moderate past. Romney's campaign had been hoping for at least one Southern victory Tuesday that might have allowed the candidate to start arguing it was time for the party to gather behind him and begin the general election against President Barack Obama. Instead, Romney now faces a resurgent Santorum - and he is without the overwhelming financial advantage he's enjoyed throughout the rest of the early states. Romney's campaign trimmed some spending in recent weeks as he was forced to spend more time on the stump and less time fund-raising. Still, he's ahead in delegates. Santorum's victories Tuesday were worth at least 35 delegates, but Romney won at least 41. Gingrich won at least 24, while Ron Paul picked up at least one. The delegate split underscored the difficulty that Romney's rivals face in overcoming his big lead. The partial allocation of delegates from Tuesday's voting states left Romney with 495 in The Associated Press count, out of the 1,144 needed to win the nomination. Santorum had 252, Gingrich 131 and Paul 48. That gives Romney more than his rivals combined. And while Santorum in particular challenges the mathematical projections, Romney still is amassing delegates at a rate that puts him on track to clinch control of nomination before the convention next summer. A senior Romney adviser, Jim Talent, said the campaign was just where the candidate wanted it to be. "We're really running against the delegate totals more than any of the others," Talent told CNN Wednesday. Gingrich deputy campaign manager Vince Haley suggested the former House speaker was putting himself in position to compete at a brokered convention, saying Gingrich could "win a debate in this country over the course of the rest of this campaign." It is rare for Alabama and Mississippi to play an important role in a Republican nominating campaign, but the 2012 race has gone on far longer than usual. Equally improbable was the decision by Santorum and Romney to campaign in the next few days in Puerto Rico. Illinois holds its primary next Tuesday, and the Romney-aligned super PAC is already advertising there in hopes of giving him an advantage. The super PAC couldn't hand Romney any Southern victories. All three candidates, as well as the super PACs supporting each of them, ran television commercials in those states. As has been the case all year, Restore Our Future, which backs Romney, spent more than any of the others, putting down $1.3 million for television ads in Alabama and another $900,000 in Mississippi. © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Close battle for delegates in Mississippi, Alabama primaries

2012-03-13T18:18:00.002-07:00

Close battle for delegates in Mississippi, Alabama primaries
--------------------

By Michael A. Memoli

March 13 2012, 6:49 PM CDT

The expectations heading into tonight's headline GOP primary contests in Alabama and Mississippi are that both races are too close to call, with Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich each capable of winning either or perhaps both contests.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/la-pn-alabama-mississippi-delegates-20120313,0,6254795.story

Visit chicagotribune.com at http://www.chicagotribune.com

Live blog: GOP rivals splitting Deep South votes

2012-03-13T18:10:00.001-07:00

Live blog: GOP rivals splitting Deep South votes

Mississippi Voters Have Big Influence in Presidential Primary

2012-03-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

Mississippi Voters Have Big Influence in Presidential Primary

Dennis Turner

6:00 PM CDT, March 13, 2012

DeSoto County, MS

FAST FACTS:

Republican Presidential candidates in tight race
Experts say Mississippi, Alabama will play key role
Turnout light to moderate in North Mississippi
dennis.turner@wreg.com

(DeSoto County, MS 3/13/2012) Mississippi voters have a chance to have a major say in which Republican candidates say in the race for president.

It’s primary day, and with a struggle to become front-runner, late primaries in Mississippi and Alabama are seen as make-or-break elections for the candidates.

Experts say one of the four major candidates could drop out if they don’t have a good showing in today’s primary.

Add to that a key congressional race for North Mississippi and you have an important vote, that as of this afternoon hadn’t drawn many voters.

If there’s an election, Kelli Gilliland says you’ll see her casting a ballot every time, ”I just believe everybody needs to have their say in who’s gonna be in charge.”

With experts calling no clear front-runner in the Republican Presidential race, they say Tuesday’s primaries in Mississippi and Alabama play a bigger than normal role in the nomination process.

That’s why DeSoto party officials and Election Commissioners put a lot of work in this race, as they always do.

”In DeSoto County we make sure that if you’re entitled to vote, you get to vote.” said DeSoto Election Commissioner Carl Payne.

The only snag came up with a Southaven voting scanner that wouldn’t read its programming card.

”They had a machine that would not start, in other words it would not read the card and were calling me and I was getting ready to go there with a new card but they got it up and running before seven o’clock.”

Commissioner Payne says even if scanners don’t work, the voting box has a secure slot for ballots officials can scan later.

And the importance of this race isn’t lost on Mississippians who hope their blue-collar values help shape America’s future.

”Most Mississippians had been raised the hard way, by working. And a lot of the work ethic in this Country has kinda fell the past few years and I think we need to bring back the old style.” said Mike Phillips of Hernando.

It’s a fact North Mississippi Congressional candidates have stressed in their campaigns.

Copyright © 2012, WREG-TV

Mississippi primary: Light turnout, glitches at the polls

2012-03-13T17:25:00.000-07:00

Mississippi primary: Light turnout, glitches at the polls
By Felicia Sonmez
Polls in Mississippi have been open for five hours, and the Jackson Clarion-Ledger reports that there have been a few mishaps, including late-opening polls in a few precincts:

A few problems have been reported this morning at voting precincts, including in Hinds County.
In Hinds County, problems reported:
-- No Republican primary was being conducted at Marshall Elementary as of 9 a.m., two hours after precincts were scheduled to open.
-- The Oak Forest precinct didn’t open until 7:30 a.m.
-- The Baker Elementary School precinct didn’t open on time, and it was unclear if it has opened.
The Clarion-Ledger also reports that the Mississippi secretary of state’s office had received “approximately 50 calls into its election hotline” as of late Tuesday morning, and that turnout has been light so far across the state.

By Felicia Sonmez | 12:29 PM ET, 03/13/2012

Hosemann urges Mississippi voters to hit polls after light turnout early

2012-03-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

After some rough patches this morning in voting, no other significant issues are being reported, the secretary of state’s office said.

“Our agency sent observers to 32 counties. After checking with staff positioned across the state, light turnout is being reported,” Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said in a news release. “A few hours of voting remain, and I am hopeful Mississippians will head to the polls and cast a ballot for president.”...read more

Statewide voter turnout expected to be light

2012-03-13T17:20:00.001-07:00

Statewide voter turnout expected to be light

Turnout is key for Republican presidential
candidates Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich,
Rick Santorum and Ron Paul as they vie for
votes in today's Mississippi primary.

But county GOP chairmen anticipate light
crowds based on absentee ballot voting, a
fairly reliable indicator of election day
turnout.

Only 312 absentee ballots had been cast in
Madison County as of Monday...read more

The South's turn: Romney, Santorum, Gingrich vie | Seattle Times Newspaper

2012-03-13T17:15:00.001-07:00

Politics | The South's turn: Romney, Santorum, Gingrich vie | Seattle Times Newspaper

Republican Primary Delegate Count

2012-03-13T17:13:00.003-07:00

Republican Delegate Count

Republican Primary Popular Vote Count

2012-03-13T17:13:00.001-07:00

Republican Popular Vote Count

Santorum sweeps Alabama, Mississippi primaries

2012-03-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

Santorum sweeps Alabama, Mississippi primaries

Republican Delegate Count

2012-03-13T07:31:00.002-07:00

Republican Delegate Count

Mississippi Republican Presidential Primary

2012-03-13T07:25:00.002-07:00

MISSISSIPPI POLLING DATA

Mississippi Republican Presidential Primary
March 13 (Proportional Primary) 40 Delegates
Polling Data
Poll Date Sample Gingrich Romney Santorum Paul Spread
PPP (D) 3/10 - 3/11 656 LV 33 31 27 7 Gingrich +2
Rasmussen Reports 3/8 - 3/8 750 LV 27 35 27 6 Romney +8
PPP (D) 11/4 - 11/6 400 RV 28 12 1 4 Gingrich +16
PPP (D) 3/24 - 3/27 400 RV 18 8 -- 4 Gingrich +10

Gingrich hopes to see check by Mississippi

2012-03-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

Politics 2012: Gingrich hopes to see check by Mississippi
Published: March. 11, 2012 at 4:15 AM

By NICOLE DEBEVEC
United Press International

Mississippi, with its 40 delegates at stake Tuesday, joined the list of must-win states for Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich.

Gingrich, with wins in South Carolina and Georgia under his belt, opted again to cancel campaign appearances in one part of the country -- in this case, Kansas -- to concentrate on another, the Deep South states of Mississippi and Alabama. He skipped campaigning in Michigan and several other states to focus on Super Tuesday contests in southern states.

Kansas' caucus was Saturday. Of the three southern states holding contests Tuesday, Gingrich won Georgia, a "must-win" state the former House speaker represented for decades. His hopes for picking up Tennessee were dashed when Santorum claimed victory there. Mitt Romney notched a win in Virginia, where only he and Ron Paul qualified for the ballot.

Gingrich's Mississippi campaign organizer Scott Brewster said the state is a key piece of Gingrich campaign strategy to focus heavily on southern states, The (Pascagoula) Mississippi Press reported.

"We obviously knew we were going to struggle in New Hampshire and Ohio and other industrial states, but we always had the feeling we could carry the entire South," Brewster said.

Even before Super Tuesday, Gingrich worked to prove he was a viable candidate despite the polls, the lack of funds and his sometimes-lampooned ideas.

"I think … big ideas matter," Gingrich said on ABC before Super Tuesday, adding he thought his proposals for lowering the per-gallon price of gas to $2.50 and colonize on the moon resonate.

While Romney has outspent the competition many times over and is the front-runner "without question ...," Gingrich said, "he's not a very convincing front-runner, and he's a long way from having closed out this race."

The southern flavor of the primary season for the next couple of weeks also provides Romney another opportunity to show he can connect with evangelical Christians and conservative Republicans who have been reluctant to take him in, so far, preferring Santorum's focus on social issues instead.

"I see Mississippi and Alabama as uphill battles for Romney," Romney supporter Henry Barbour, a Mississippi GOP official and nephew of former Gov. Haley Barbour, told The Wall Street Journal. "But we have an opportunity, by voting for Governor Romney, to really help bring out the fat lady and end the nominating process."

In fact, conservative commentator S.E. Cupp told NewsMax she didn't think Romney would be the top dog in any of the southern hunts for delegates.

"He'll be lucky to come in second in any of these states and he probably won't win any of them," she said in the exclusive interview with NewsMax. "So it's going to be hard for the next few weeks for Mitt Romney to maintain any momentum he has coming out of Super Tuesday and brace himself for April when he can get into friendlier territory.

One big -- and bad -- takeaway for Romney is his inability to draw conservatives and evangelicals to his bandwagon, Cupp said.

"The whole game for the past six months has been to figure out why Mitt Romney isn't solidifying among conservatives and it's deeper than just he's too plastic, he's too robotic," she told NewsMax. "When it comes down to it, for all of the politicking we do around elections, voting is still a very personal, private, sacred experience and voters want to leave the voting booth feeling good about themselves, feeling like they didn't just vote for a man but a cause -- and they [conservatives] can't identify the cause that Mitt Romney represents.

A Gallup poll taken in 2011 indicated Mississippi was pretty evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, with each party having 43 percent support of those who said they identified with a party or leaned toward a party.

Election officials, too, are preparing for the primaries and expressed hope voter turnout would be better than expected, The Mississippi Press said.

"I'm an eternal optimist and we hope that everybody will get out and vote, even though based on what we've heard so far not a lot of people are interested right now," Jackson County Circuit Clerk Joe Martin said.

Mississippi's 40 delegates are awarded three per congressional district with the winner of the beauty contest also getting 25 at-large delegates.

© 2012 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Mississippi Gov. Bryant Backs Romney

2012-03-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

March 8, 2012, 8:10 PM ET
Mississippi Gov. Bryant Backs Romney
PASCAGOULA, Miss. — Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant endorsed Mitt Romney at a campaign event this evening in this Gulf Coast town, adding to a string of endorsements from influential Southern Republicans on the cusp of elections next week in the Deep South.

Gov. Phil Bryant (R., Miss.) watches as Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign stop at the Port of Pascagoula on Thursday, March 8, 2012 in Pascagoula, Miss. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
With the Mississippi and Alabama primaries on Tuesday — territory Mr. Romney likened to playing “an away game” — the former Massachusetts governor has picked up endorsements from former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi as well as Henry Barbour, a member of the Republican National Committee and nephew of former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour. Former Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott was also an early supporter.

“We need someone that can win this campaign,” Mr. Bryant told reporters after Mr. Romney delivered a brief speech. “I believe Mitt Romney is the Republican candidate that can be nominated and can defeat Barack Obama. It’s as simple as that. I want to win.”

The South has proved unwelcome terrain for Mr. Romney after losing primaries earlier this year in South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia. The Romney campaign is once again falling back on that aura of inevitability in a bid to convince primary voters here — and beyond — that their candidate is the best choice to beat the president in November. But the region remains an uphill climb, with exit polls in the states he lost showing the former Massachusetts governor struggling with the evangelical Christians and self-described “very conservative” Republicans who play a dominant role in Southern states.

Mr. Romney and his advisers have played down expectations here, but an outside group supporting Mr. Romney’s bid in spending heavily in select media markets, especially along the Gulf Coast, and two polls from Alabama showed the race there is competitive. In one, the former Massachusetts governor trailed his top rival, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, by four percentage points. The other showed him leading by nine points.

On Wednesday, Mr. Romney got the endorsement of Alabama’s Birmingham News, the state’s largest newspaper, which said he is in the best position to beat Mr. Obama and that he was “an extremely successful businessman and was a very competent governor who accomplished much of his agenda by working across party lines.

“Given an economy that continues to struggle and a Congress at war with itself, Romney’s strengths separate him from the Republican Party’s other would-be challengers to Obama.”

With his two top rivals locked in a fight for survival, the former Massachusetts governor laid on the Southerner charm during a brief speech at a port here where three deep-sea oil rigs loomed in the background. Mr. Romney introduced the crowd to his personal aide Garrett Jackson, who, the candidate noted, served as a manager for the University of Mississippi football team.

“He’s now turning me into, I don’t know, an unofficial Southerner,” Mr. Romney told the crowd. “I’m learning to say y’all’. I like grits…Strange things are happening to me.”

The former Massachusetts governor went on to tell the dozens of people who gathered for the impromptu rally about his father-in-law who sold parts to shipbuilders in the area. He wrapped up a stump speech that focused heavily on what he sees as the failings of President Obama by telling the crowd, “I need your vote. I need your vote.”

The Southern appeal seemed to strike a chord with at least a few people in attendance. Mr. Bryant said the candidate measured up “very well” as an “unofficial Southerner.”

“He had blue jeans on, he likes grits,” the Mississippi governor joked. “I like to see a man when he’s holding a baby, and he looks like he’s held a baby before.”

Copyright 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit
www.djreprints.com

Hosemann: Miss. voter ID still needs federal approval, won't be used in March 13 primaries

2012-03-12T11:19:00.001-07:00

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi voters won't have to show a driver's license or other photo identification to cast ballots in the March 13 presidential and congressional primaries, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said Monday.

Hosemann, a Republican and the state's chief elections officer, said Mississippi has not yet sought the required federal approval for a voter ID state constitutional amendment that voters approved this past November. Because of Mississippi's history of racial discrimination, the U.S. Justice Department or a federal court in Washington, D.C., must approve any changes to the state's voting procedures.

Legislators are working on a law to implement voter identification, including ways to pay for photo ID for any person of voting age who doesn't have a driver's license. Until legislators are finished, Hosemann said the state can't seek federal approval.

Hosemann spoke Monday at a forum sponsored by the Capitol press corps and Mississippi State University's Stennis Institute of Government. He said he hopes Mississippi's voter ID plan will receive federal approval by mid-September so it can be in place for the presidential election in November.

"If we haven't got it by September, we're not going to have it" for the presidential race, Hosemann said.

He said any voter who doesn't have a government-issued photo ID needs time to get one. He said his office is trying to figure out ways to find people in that situation, particularly the elderly and those with physical disabilities.

The voter ID amendment on the ballot last November was approved by 62 percent of voters. Mississippi's population is 59 percent white, 37 percent black and 2.7 percent Hispanic. Election results show the ID amendment, Initiative 27, fared better in predominantly white counties and worse in predominantly black counties.

The Mississippi NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union have both said they'll ask the Justice Department to reject voter ID, contending that the requirement could disproportionately create difficulties for poor and minority voters.

JACKSON, Miss. — Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann says Mississippi voters won't have to show identification to cast ballots in the March 13 presidential and congressional primaries.

Supporters of voter ID say it will help prevent people from masquerading as others to cast ballots. After Hosemann's speech Monday, a reporter asked him what he'd say to opponents of voter ID.

"They need to get over it," Hosemann said.

He said the secretary of state's office held nine public hearings about ballot initiatives before last November's election, and lawmakers have argued about voter ID for years. He also said the U.S. Supreme Court has declared voter ID to be constitutional, based on cases from other states.

"The majority rules," Hosemann said. "We need to get on with it."

Mississippi Democratic Party chairman Rickey Cole, who attended Hosemann's speech, said he's concerned about what kind of plan legislators will adopt for voter ID, including how much money they'll set aside to buy cameras for circuit clerks to take photos of people who don't have any other government-issued photo ID.

"The devil's in the details, and there are a lot of devilish details involving voter ID in Mississippi," Cole said.

In December, the Justice Department rejected a voter ID law in South Carolina, another southern state with a history of troubled race relations. The department said tens of thousands of minorities might lack the right kind of photo ID and, as a consequence, might not be able to vote.

Suddenly Mississippi is a hot commodity for GOP candidates

2012-03-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Monday, Mar 12, 2012
Posted on Sat, Mar. 10, 2012
Suddenly Mississippi is a hot commodity for GOP candidates
By GEOFF PENDER
McClatchy Newspapers
Republican voters in Mississippi, the very reddest of the red states, have never been in a position like this: GOP presidential candidates, their fates still in the wind, are here with their hats in hands, showing the love.

They've dang-near pandered in advance of Tuesday's primary. All have frequently invoked God and Constitution while in the Magnolia State.

Nationwide frontrunner Mitt Romney, at a Thursday stop in Pascagoula, gushed: "If the federal government were run more like the government here in Mississippi, the whole country would be a lot better off." That's not something Mississippians often hear. He also said he likes grits.

Newt Gingrich, who has to win Mississippi and Alabama on Tuesday to stay viable, sounded like he was from around here at recent stops in Jackson and Gulfport, talking up states' rights. He didn't promise a chicken in every pot, but promised cheap gas.

"Nothing will help the poor more than the creation of jobs ... and gasoline for $2.50 a gallon or less," Gingrich said. "... People in Connecticut can more afford higher gasoline prices than people in Mississippi."

Rick Santorum, scheduled to be in Gulfport Saturday, says he's the conservative's conservative, and is banking on the three-quarters of Mississippi GOP voters who identified themselves as evangelicals in the 2008 primary to back him.

"I stood tall for the values that the people of Mississippi want to see in their nominee," Santorum told a crowd in Tupelo. He then called Romney a liar and his supporters called for Gingrich to bow out. "You can change it all, Mississippi," he said.

Rep. Ron Paul, while not campaigning in Mississippi, is here in spirit, with grass-roots, libertarian-leaning supporters working social media for him. Mississippi has a small but ardent libertarian base, and he could have some traction.

For Mississippi Romney supporters, the cause appears to be mainly that he's the candidate most able to beat Obama in November.

"I think it's very important, at the end of the day, that we take the personalities out and get behind the person who can beat Obama," said GOP state Rep. Casey Eure. "I feel like he has a proven record as a businessman and creating jobs. I think he'll do reasonably well in Mississippi. I feel like he'll do well."

For Gingrich supporters, he best speaks the Deep South conservative language.

"We need drastic change to fix this country and I don't see drastic change from the other guys," said John Rhodes, a D'Iberville contractor and local TEA Party leader.

Santorum supporter Barry Neyrey, a computer programmer from Long Beach, said he believes Santorum "is the most conservative and honest and principled."

"You won't hear a lot of spin coming out of him," Neyrey said. "He's just a regular guy, with morals and values and principles of conservatism and the free market."

Paul supporter Charlie Mackey Clark, a college librarian from Ocean Springs, is a longtime libertarian and former chair of the state party.

"I'm hard-core," Clark said. "I was aware of Ron early on, long before he ever became a candidate ... This is a movement, not just the election du jour ... He's reaching people."

Gingrich remains up in the most recent Mississippi poll, released Friday by American Research Group.

Gingrich had 35 percent support among likely GOP primary voters, followed by Romney at 31 percent, Santorum at 20 percent and Paul with 7 percent.

But polls this season have been shifting sands and Santorum last week was drawing larger crowds than Gingrich in Mississippi and his campaign says he's rapidly gaining ground in the South after beating Gingrich in Tennessee on Super Tuesday.

Mississippi's primary is late in the game and typically doesn't matter, with a nominee usually secure by the time it rolls around after Super Tuesday. It also has a rather paltry 40 delegates at stake. Candidates often don't bother to show up or spend ad money here.

But the GOP contest has rolled on this year, with no one statistically secure in a path to the 1,144 delegates required for the nomination. Coupled with Alabama's 50 delegates at stake, Tuesday is a Deep South prize all the candidates need.

For Gingrich, it's do-or-die, by his own campaign's admission. The Deep South is considered the former Georgia congressman's home base. A loss here would indicate he has no base outside Georgia.

For Santorum, winning Alabama and Mississippi and forcing Gingrich out would secure his spot as the un-Romney candidate and stop his and Gingrich's splitting of the party's right wing vote. In a two-person sprint to the finish in Tampa, he could force a fight at the convention.

Romney's campaign doesn't appear to harbor any illusion that he'll carry Mississippi and Alabama. But he needs to show at least a strong third to fend off Santorum claims that he has no suction with ultra-conservatives and evangelicals.

With proportionality, 25 of Mississippi's delegates can be split between candidates who get 15 percent or more of the vote. There's an outside chance Paul could reach that threshold and remain a fly in the ointment of frontrunners.

Despite his new fondness for grits, Romney after losses in Tennessee and Georgia headed to Mississippi and Alabama calling it "an away game" - a statement not likely scripted by his speechwriters.

But Romney has the backing of the Mississippi GOP establishment, for what appear to be reasons of realpolitik more than Republican fire in the belly.

Their support appears to be mainly pragmatic: Romney, they say, has the best chance to beat Obama.

Many Republican elected leaders - basically all willing to make a public endorsement - back Romney. This includes Sen. Thad Cochran, Gov. Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and others.

Reeves issued this statement, here in its entirety: "Mitt Romney has the experience to recharge our economy and put Americans back to work. He is a conservative leader whose pro-growth message is resonating with Mississippians."

Romney has more money, advertising and organization in the Magnolia State and isn't ceding defeat to Gingrich and Santorum without a fight. The Restore Our Future super PAC that supports him recently dropped $2.7 million on advertising for Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Illinois for Romney.

"It's an uphill battle, but we're damned organized and working hard and have a lot of people out working," said Austin Barbour, a Jackson lobbying company owner, state and national Republican leader and nephew of former Gov. Haley Barbour, who's holding off on endorsement until a nominee is chosen.

Austin's brother, Henry Barbour, also a mover in the state and national GOP, is also backing Romney, after having backed Rick Perry before he withdrew.

"If I had to handicap it, I would say Santorum is the favorite in Mississippi," Henry Barbour said. "It's a little harder for me to say Gingrich. He's clearly popular and his message resonates, but I think a lot of people think he's toast and can't win ... (Romney) is clearly the underdog, but he's got a real chance."

Barbour likened Gingrich's situation to Ole Miss' in the SEC tournament: "He's got to win, got to run the table, or he has no viable path to victory. He can't afford to lose nor can Ole Miss."

Both the Gingrich and Santorum camps said they doubt Romney's endorsements by the Republican establishment will have a lot of sway with rank-and-file voters.

"Mississippians don't like to be herded," said Scott Brewster, Mississippi organizer for Gingrich. "We joke that Romney lost all 82 counties in Mississippi last time, and that this time he might lose 83."

Santorum's Mississippi campaign organizer Chris Godbey said Santorum "is having a lot of success with our grassroots efforts here."

"We're seeing a lot of evangelicals and TEA Party members who were very active in the statewide elections last year come on board," Godbey said.

Frank Corder, a Pascagoula councilman and conservative political blogger at Y'all Politics, said he believes many GOP Mississippi voters are still working things out.

"I think voters are trying to balance voting for a candidate more closely aligned with their values versus beating Obama," Corder said. "As far as someone who most represents conservative Mississippians, I would probably say Santorum at the top and Gingrich a close second ... Gingrich's baggage is what it is, but I'd pay money tomorrow to hear him debate Obama. But then there are a lot in the GOP mainstream, and some in the fringe, centering around Romney."

Marty Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute of Government and longtime Mississippi political observer, said he believes Romney's Mormonism will be a factor in the primary. He said, "A lot of people here have been told repeatedly for a lot of years that Mormonism is a cult." He said Santorum and Romney being "viewed as Yankees" and Gingrich as a Southerner could also sway voters.

Corder said he doesn't believe religion is as big an issue as it once was in a state that has been called the "Buckle of the Bible Belt."

"That may have been a big issue four or eight years ago," Corder said. "But Romney has been vetted so much, and the average Mississippi voter has really matured over the years, and doesn't hang onto those things as harshly as they used to."

Renae Collier, a Gulfport realtor, is the sort of Mississippi voter the candidates are rushing around Mississippi and spending money to lure. As of late last week, they hadn't made much headway with her.

"I voted for Obama last time, but now I don't know that was the wisest choice," Collier said. "I'm probably going to vote Republican this time. I think we need a change, to help bring the economy back up.

"I'm not the most political-minded person. At this point, I guess I'm looking at my top two right now as Mr. Santorum and Mr. Gingrich, but I'm not sure. I know I have to make a decision very soon.

"But I've been too busy trying to make a living in this economy to pay a lot of attention."

© 2012 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansascity.com

Mississippi Farm Bureau dissents from national position on farm policy

2012-03-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

Mississippi Farm Bureau dissents from national position on farm policy

Thu, 2012-03-01 16:50
The Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation board of directors voted unanimously yesterday to formally dissent from the American Farm Bureau Federation policy over its current language concerning the upcoming farm bill.

Farm Bureau President Randy Knight said, “We feel like the American Farm Bureau Federation’s policy on the farm bill did not adequately address the needs of Mississippi producers. We have notified AFBF that we will work with our congressional delegation in a different direction on farm policy that better addresses the risks and hazards that we face in Mississippi.”

In a long discussion during the policy development session, Mississippi voting delegates offered several amendments that would have allowed AFBF to be more flexible in farm policy, taking into consideration some regional and commodity differences. Ultimately that effort failed.

“The board felt like formally dissenting from policy was necessary to better represent our members during the important farm bill negotiations,” said Knight. “We look forward to working with other states and our Mississippi congressional delegation on a farm bill that takes into consideration the needs of all commodities in Mississippi.”

Mark Item As: News
User-Submitted Content Status: Accepted
Source URL: http://deltafarmpress.com/government/mississippi-farm-bureau-dissents-national-position-farm-policy

Bloated voter rolls present concern in state elections

2012-02-27T11:27:00.001-08:00

Bloated voter rolls present concern in state elections - WLOX-TV and WLOX.com - The News for South Mississippi

Hosemann: 16 Mississippi counties have more registered voters than residents of voting age | The Republic

2012-02-27T11:26:00.000-08:00

Hosemann: 16 Mississippi counties have more registered voters than residents of voting age | The Republic