INTEGRITY IN VOTING

Our vote is the cornerstone of our Country.

My plan for the future of Mississippi's Elections includes:

1.                  Work with the Legislature to break the stalemate and pass an effective and constitutional Voter Identification Bill.

2.                  Maximum complete public relations/information efforts in each county, to ensure, once passed and approved by the US Justice Department, that every qualified Mississippi voter is informed of the law and possesses the identification necessary to vote.

3.                  "Certified Mississippi Poll Worker" education and training program, continue a student poll workers' intern program, and continue the ongoing recruitment and training of new poll workers.The program will also include a comprehensive training course for bailiffs.

4.                  Develop comprehensive Training, Education and Cooperation Initiatives for each County Circuit Clerk, party executive committees and each Election Commissioner.

5.                  A strict 48 hour response deadline policy for questions submitted to the Secretary of State's office within thirty (30) days of any election

6.                  Publicly report any violation of Mississippi voting laws and petition the Legislature for initial investigatory authority.

7.                  Complete implementation of the statewide voting identification system. Current law states that the following persons shall not vote: non-residents, deceased voters, certain felons (§ 201, MS Con) and the mentally incompetent. I will notify all counties about persons to potentially purge from the rolls and guarantee registration of only qualified Mississippi voters (§ 3 A). The Secretary of State's Office will maintain one central complete voter identification system.

8.                  Assist the Attorney General and local authorities to enforce strict penalties for voter intimidation and voter fraud and to facilitate reporting of election violations, including intimidation and fraud.

In protecting our right to vote, we must address two governing groups of laws:

Federal Law

1. The Help America Vote Act was enacted by Congress and signed by the President in 2002. It was designed to address issues raised in the previous Presidential election. Funds allocated from HAVA assisted Mississippi in purchasing electronic voting machines for almost all of our counties. HAVA requires individuals who register to vote by mail and who have not previously registered to vote to provide a current and valid photo identification or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter. To register to vote by mail the individual must submit a copy of his or her identification.

Mississippi currently does not require identification to vote. On July 14, 2004, Secretary of State Eric Clark issued an emergency administrative rule installing a Voter ID Provision for all Mississippi elections.Under his administrative rule, all Voters who register to vote by mail and who have not had their identity verified by the Department of Public Safety or their local registrar must show identification the first time they vote in any election. This administrative rule was approved by the Department of Justice.

Mississippi Law

1. The Mississippi Senate has passed a bill which requires Voters to provide a driver's license, government issued card, employer identification number, employer issued identification, or a license to carry a gun. The Senate bill would require the Voter to present one of these identifications at each election. The Mississippi House did not pass such a bill.Voter Identification Laws are currently in effect in 24 other states, including Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia.

ONE VOTE - ONE VOICE… WHY WAIT????

The Secretary of State's office must take the lead in providing two alternative courses of action.

1.                  In the event that the Mississippi Legislature passes some type of integrity in voting act. the Secretary of State must provide for the following:

a.                  Maximum complete public relations/information effort to make certain Mississippi's law is held to be constitutional. Included in this process would be:

i)                    Public Service Announcements

ii)                   Implementation of a Voter ID card specifically targeted for qualified Mississippi Voters who do not have a valid Driver's License.

b.                  County by County organization to ensure public knowledge for voting requirements determined by the Mississippi Legislature and further ensuring that every qualified Voter is offered the opportunity to cast his or her ballot.

Without ensuring the constitutionality of the democratic process by all voters, Mississippi would again risk the imposition of Federal Judiciary setting aside our legislative efforts.

WHY WAIT? One Vote – One Voice

2.                  In the event that the Mississippi Legislative process does not produce voting reform, the Secretary of State's office must take the lead in ensuring the integrity of the vote. In addition to the Voter identification processes already in place as instituted by Secretary of State Clark, the Secretary of State should accomplish the following:

A. Each County and each Board of Election Commissioners must be visited in their county prior to the next election by the Secretary of State's staff to educate, train and work with all local Election Commissioners and political executive committees. They are the first line of defense against possible voter fraud and are on the front line of protecting our votes. The education process would include all certification requirements, counting procedures and penalties for the failure of poll workers to follow state law.

B. A certification process and an increase in pay for poll workers.Certification could be obtained in an eight (8) hour course provided by the Secretary of State's staff, Election Commissioners or at the local Community/Jr. Colleges and Universities as well as on-line. The certification process would enable each person working at the polls to obtain the basic training and a simple understanding of the laws to help guarantee the integrity of each person's vote. The "Certified Mississippi Poll Worker" education program will include student poll worker internships, ongoing recruitment of new poll workers, and a comprehensive training course for bailiffs.

C. A strict 48-hour response time from the Secretary of State's office to all county officials and election commissioners. The Secretary of State's office should be staffed to handle and respond to any elected official's request concerning any voting question within 48-hours of his or her request.

D. Public reporting of any violation of Mississippi voting laws. Initial investigatory authority should also reside within the Secretary of State's office to refer matters to the local authorities for prosecution. The Secretary of State's office should be at the forefront of election information and the forefront of reporting any violation. My office should investigate allegations of voter fraud and I will ask the Legislature for authority to do so.

E. Complete implementation of the statewide voting identification system by encouraging the purge of non-residents, deceased voters, certain felons, and persons registered in multiple jurisdictions from the rolls and maintaining one central, complete voter identification system.

F. Increase and enforce strict penalties for voter intimidation and voter fraud.Currently, penalties could be as little as a $25.00 fine.

The above steps will encourage voter confidence in the electoral process and provide for identification for seniors without intimidation.

As your Secretary of State, "I pledge to ensure that each eligible voter is clearly identified, verified and permitted to cast a secure vote."

"Confidence in the integrity of our Electoral Process is essential to the functioning of our participatory democracy. Voter Fraud drives honest citizens out of the democratic process and breeds distrust of our government. Voters who fear their legitimate votes will be outweighed by fraudulent ones will feel disenfranchised."

- U.S. Supreme Court