Mississippi‘s Republican Governor and Secretary State are turning the November ballot upside down in Magnolia state. They are putting a race for the United State’s Senate, the most high-profile race in the state, at the end of the ballot. The other Senate race remains at the top of ballot, right after the Presidential candidates, where the law says federal races should go.
Governor Haley Barbour and Secretary of State Delbert Hoseman have a problem. Roger Wicker, their Republican nominee for Trent Lott’s vacated Senate seat is struggling against the hard working and popular Democrat, former Governor Ronnie Musgrove.
Their answer to the problem: be creative, ignore the law and manipulate the ballot. I guess you could say that they are going old school on the voters.
It’s even happening in the dark of night. One local election official filed a suit to stop this travesty and a local court agreed. But Governor Barbour called on his friends at Mississippi’s Republican leaning Supreme Court to intervene. They did, after work hours. They overturned the lower court’s ruling and green lighted the manipulated ballots. The Secretary of State then sent out the manipulated ballots… in the middle of the night.
Yes, hide the senate race at the end of the ballot where some may not find it and do it during the dark of night. Many voters such as the elderly, less educated and first-time voters have trouble with long and complicated ballots and these voters are likely Democrats.
So, what is the backroom motivation of these Republican politicians? Rocket scientists not needed to figure this one out.
I’m a Mississippian by birth and the grace of God. I love my state and such tactics anger me. I grew up in the home of a county Sheriff and every four years we walked door to door and campaigned for re-election. My earliest memories are sitting in church pews listening to pastors remember the recent past where manipulations took place to disenfranchise voters and ensure the status quo followed by the encouragement to go register, vote and “let your voice be heard” because it’s a new day, a better day.
The Governor and Secretary of State can argue all they want that because the Senate race is a “special election” it should go at the end of the ballot. Hogwash. Hokum. Honey, where’s the shovel? No law and no precedent would place it there… self-serving, old school, backroom, win at all costs politics is putting it at the end.
And the voters lose.
We can do better. Common ground is found on higher ground. This is taking place in 2008 and the losers are the voters, white and black, old and young, poor and rich. We all lose because political calculation, win at all costs by an elite establishment, blackens the eyes of justice and inclusiveness falls by the turn-rows. Mississippians deserve better.
See related articles: Secretary of State distributes disputed Miss. ballot- Emily Wagster Pettus, Associated Press/Sun Herald and Mississippi’s Ballot Trick- New York Times
Burns Strider is former Senior Advisor and Director of Faith Outreach for U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, former advisor to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and currently a director of FaithfulDemocrats.com, and founding partner at the Eleison Group.
posted September 12, 2008 at 2:58 pm
If the State of Mississippi (Ran and ruled by Democrat Governors)in the past elections, placed special elections on the bottom! And if this time it is a Special election and it is! Than it should be at the bottom! The only difference in this special election and the past’s ones is that, this time the State has a Republican Governor. If the State of Mississippi passes a Law stating seat belts are required than that is the law. But when I get in my 1951 Chev and drive on the road, I and anyone else in my Chev do not have to put seat belts on because we come under the Old School, the GrandFather law. If the people of Mississippi (Demorcats)does not know how to start at the top of the ballot and finish at the end of the ballot they need to move to Florida and join the many others that have problems voting!
posted September 13, 2008 at 7:29 pm
The religious left would prefer to see tax hikes, a welfare state, and sinners to go to hell than people go to Heaven.
posted September 16, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Were all “special elections” ballots printed in the dead of night?
Did all court proceedings concerning “special elections” occur during the dead of night when the citizens of the state of Mississippi were in REM?
Having lived in Mississippi for many years, I find it hard to believe that Governor Barbour would think it proper to allow such mischief to preceed in 2008. I thought the Republican Party wanted to advance the state, not regress it.
Now that The New York Times has picked up the story, oh, well, it doesn’t matter how much Mississippi tries to defend what the Governor or the Court was “trying” to do, does it?
That’s a shame. An outright dern shame.
posted September 16, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Correction to the above comment:
Having once lived in Mississippi for many years, I find it hard to believe that Governonr Barbour would think it proper to allow such mischief to proceed in 2008. I thought the Republican Party wanted to advance the state, not regress it. And, I might add, Ronnie Musgrove must be a formidable candidate!