Hosemann, visiting The DAILY LEADER office the same day as a judge set aside the Jefferson Davis County election for circuit clerk, said recent poll results by a Virginia-based company indicated voter distrust and belief of widespread abuse of the election system in Mississippi.

"You had everything there (in Jefferson Davis County) - a dead man voting, a man voting while in the (hospital) ICU, absentee and affidavit ballots and the need for more poll worker education," Hosemann said.

Later on Tuesday, Judge Forrest Johnson ordered a new primary election for circuit clerk after he found a "clear and distinct finding that the will of the (Jefferson Davis County) voters cannot be ascertained."

Besides obvious voter fraud in two instances, the judge cited irregularities in the handling of absentee and affidavit ballots along with general confusion during the counting and tallying process on election night. He also criticized the county's Democratic Executive Committee for its lack of preparedness.

Incidents similar to the one in Jefferson Davis County have and are occurring in voting precincts across the state, Hosemann said, citing elections in several counties ranging from north to south Mississippi.

"The thing that was most disturbing about the poll was that 86 percent of Mississippi voters believe there is election fraud, and that questions the integrity of the whole voting process," Hosemann said.

"We trust our own polling precincts, but there are others that are leaking," he said. "They may have already stolen your vote. It doesn't matter if the stolen vote supports your candidate or whether it's Republican or Democrat. It's wrong no matter how they voted."

Hosemann, who has campaigned heavily on the need for voter identification, said a comprehensive voter reform act that addresses every aspect of the process is the only way to restore voter confidence in the system.

"While the bright light is on voter ID, in the shadows are all these other issues. There is an absolute need for a voter reform act that includes voter ID and all other issues," he said.

A poll of Mississippi voters conducted by Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Va., on Sept. 25 and 26 indicates that a majority of state voters support voter ID, Hosemann said.

When asked if they "favor or oppose a law that would require voters to produce valid identification, such as a driver's license or utility bill, when they go to vote," 90 percent of the those polled said they would support the law with 8 percent in opposition, Hosemann said.

The candidate said support for voter ID also crosses nearly all boundaries with 95 percent of the the state's white voters and 81 percent of African-Americans in favor. Voter identification also smashed through party lines with support from 96 percent of the Republicans, 91 percent of the independents and 85 percent of the Democrats.

Additionally, Hosemann said, the poll indicated hardly any voters would be inconvenienced by having to provide the information when registering to cast their ballot at the precinct.

"We did a poll that shows 97 percent of people that went to the polls had voter ID information with them," he said.

Hosemann will meet Democratic nominee Rob Smith in the general election Nov. 6. In published reports, Smith has called voter ID a divisive issue that will stop people from voting.

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