JACKSON — Lawmakers are using a report from Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann to decide what election issues will take priority next session.
Hosemann held a series of hearings across the state leading up to the November general election. He shared his findings with the Senate Elections Committee on Wednesday, saying voter identification and early voting were among the main topics at the hearings.
Hosemann has pushed for a state voter ID law. Voters in federal elections comply with an identification provision of the Help America Vote Act that allows forms of identification other than photos.
The state allows absentee balloting for voters under certain conditions, including being out of the country on election day.
Both ideas drew mixed responses during the Senate meeting. Hosemann said the HAVA law isn’t restrictive enough for state elections. He said utility bills and other paper identification allowed under the federal law aren’t always verifiable by poll workers.
Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, who worked for years for former Secretary of State Eric Clark, said adopting requirements that differ from federal law could cause confusion at the polls.
“I would encourage us to have the same idea in place for everybody,” Blount said. “You get into a real confusing situation if our requirements are more restrictive than the federal.”
A recommendation in the report was to allow a 15-day window for early voting.
Lowndes County Circuit Clerk Mahala Salazar said she’s in favor of early voting because it could reduce the time clerks spending processing absentee ballots, which have increased in number in recent years.
“If it’s done in a controlled environment, it would be a great service for the public,” Salazar said.
Senate Elections Chairman Terry Burton, R-Newton, said if changes are to be made in how Mississippi handles elections, 2009 is the year to do it because there’s no state or federal elections.
State News
Lawmakers discuss voter ID, early voting proposals
- State News
-
-
Gas line explosion rattles Washington Parish
A pre-dawn gas line explosion shook residents out of their beds in a rural, wooded area of Washington Parish, briefly knocking out power to thousands of people but not injuring anybody.
-
2nd victim dies after blast at La. chemical plant
An explosion and fire at a Louisiana chemical plant claimed a second victim Friday as federal authorities were piecing together the cause of the blast that injured dozens more.
-
1 dead, 73 hurt in La. plant explosion
A ground-rattling explosion Thursday at a chemical plant in Louisiana ignited a blaze that killed one person and injured dozens of others, authorities said. Witnesses described a chaotic scene of flames as high as 200 feet into the air and workers scrambling over gates to escape the plant.
-
Body of 4th drowning victim found off Gulf coast
Beaches in Gulf Shores have reopened under yellow-flag conditions after being closed when four men drowned in dangerous rip currents.
-
Levees, removable walls proposed to protect NYC
Removable floodwalls would be erected in lower Manhattan, and levees, gates and other defenses would be built elsewhere around the city under a nearly $20 billion plan proposed Tuesday by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to protect New York from storms and the effects of global warming.
-
What’s the problem with PRISM?
When the federal government went looking for phone numbers tied to terrorists, it grabbed the records of just about everyone in America.
-
Tropical Storm Andrea bearing down on Fla. coast
The first named storm of the Atlantic season hammered Florida with rain, heavy winds, and tornadoes Thursday as it moved toward the coast of Georgia and the Carolinas, promising sloppy commutes and waterlogged vacation getaways through the beginning of the weekend.
-
Holder praises slain black activist Medgar Evers
Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday praised slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, saying that the black activist’s vision and leadership helped make it possible for Holder and President Barack Obama to rise to the positions they now hold.
-
3 arrested after bomb found at south Miss. prison
Three south Mississippi residents have been arrested after authorities found a bomb in a car at a Leakesville state prison.
-
Most Miss. cities hold mayoral elections Tuesday
Most Mississippi cities will elect mayors Tuesday, choosing people to propose budgets, appoint department heads and make sure that potholes are filled, garbage is collected and clean water is flowing.
- More State News Headlines
-
Gas line explosion rattles Washington Parish
James Gandolfini Dies at Age 51
Fmr. TWA Flight 800 Investigators Want New Probe
Raw: Heat, Spurs Back on Court Ahead of Game 7
Dolce and Gabbana Convicted of Tax Evasion
Paris, Prince Depositions Used in Jackson Trial
Coiffed Cattle Get Their Close-up
In Berlin, Obama Channels Cold War Activism
Police at Patriots Tight End's Home for 2nd Day
Fed Suggests Bond Purchases Could Slow
AP: DOJ Broke Own Rules Seizing Phone Records
Raw: Baby White Rhino Debuts at Australian Zoo
Time Lapse: Rebuilding Bridge Post-collapse
Ohio Woman Accuses 3 of Holding Her Captive
Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends
