Thoughts on the Mississippi Elections

On yesterday, Mississippi voters came out in surprisingly high numbers to cast their vote. It is speculated that the proposed initiatives are what boosted voter turnout. Here are my brief thoughts on last night's results:

Initiative 26: The Personhood Amendment

Y'all already know how I felt about this. I wasn't sure how this would turn out; after all, Mississippi is a really conservative state in the middle of the Bible Belt. So it was a relief to see that MS 26 was defeated with 58% of voters rejecting the idea. Actually I'm surprised the numbers weren't closer. Mississippi is showing some progress! Although I don't think we've seen the last of these amendments to essentially make abortion illegal, the rights of women and families are safe for now.

Initiative 27: Voter ID

This one shocked the hell out of me. Mississippians overwhelmingly voted in favor of this amendment, which stated that voters would need to present a government issued ID to vote. How overwhelmingly? Try 62%. 62%. I have to wonder what was going through the minds of those who voted for this. Of course there were some that knew exactly how this would affect future elections. But I have to think that the reason this didn't pass is because people were unaware of what this really means. I believe that many people simply bought the "voter fraud" excuse (which, by the way, has failed to materialize) and thought "well we have to show ID at other places (businesses) so it's the same thing." They didn't consider the disenfranchisement on those who do not have government-issued ID (which happen to be way more blacks and Hispanics than whites). It's proof that you can't just blindly go in and press yes or no. These issues are important and need to be taken seriously; due diligence must be done.

Gubernatorial Election

I can't say I was disappointed here. To be disappointed means that there was some expectation, and as much as I wanted Democratic candidate Johnny Dupree to win, I knew the odds were not in his favor. Republican Phil Bryant won with 61% of the vote. (Sidenote: he has such a slimy, sleazy, "good ol boy" vibe. Which means he'll fit right in with most of these politicians.) One thing that did amuse me was the fact that so many people thought Dupree (who was the first black mayor of Hattiesburg and first black candidate for MS governor) would have won if all the black people in Mississippi had voted. This kind of thinking is similar to those who felt that African-Americans "won" the vote for President Obama. As of 2010, African-Americans only make up 37% of the state's population. So even if every eligible black voter came out and pressed JOHNNY DUPREE, it would not have been enough on its own. And guess what? Not all of them would have voted Democrat! Shocking (and confusing), I know, but it's true. In fact, I know a black man who said he doesn't vote along party lines and voted for Bryant because he felt he was best suited for the job. Again, I didn't understand it, but it just goes to show that you can't assume that all black people are voting Dem, or for the black man. It is what it is.

However, I will say this: the fact that Mayor Dupree made it as far as he did and had such a strong grassroot campaign (pushed by younger voters) shows that we are making some strides. And I am thankful for that.

So those are my two cents on the matter. Feel free to share your thoughts and feelings on this election (or the elections in your state).