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What Are You're Voting On? (Initiative 27)

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Initiative 27 – The “Voter ID” Amendment This amendment would require the presentation of some form of government issued photo identification at your polling place. Proponents of the initiative claim that it will all but eliminate fraudulent votes from being cast in state, county and local elections by requiring the use of an identification card to cast your ballot. Opponents of the legislation claim that it will place an undue hardship on some people, mainly those living on limited or low income, racial and ethnic minorities, and the elderly.   Opponents also argue that requiring an ID will disenfranchise many black voters, citing the fact that blacks have been prevented from voting in past Mississippi elections, especially in the 1960’s and earlier. To retort those claims, proponents point out that the amendment will provide exceptions for certain residents of state-licensed care facilities and religious objectors from being required to show photo identification in order to vote.  The state will also provide, at no cost, an identification card to any person who applies.  This is where the cost of the amendment comes into play. The State of Mississippi stands to lose about $2 million if Initiative 27 passes.  Those figures are based on the fiscal analysis prepared by the Mississippi Legislative Budget Office.  There were just over 107,000  photo identification cards issued to Mississippians of voting age in 2010.  Each ID costs the recipient $14.oo and is dispensed to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety.  Should this initiative pass, the state will lose that revenue because the DPS will no longer be able to assess the cost of the ID to the recipient. The fiscal analysis prepared by the MLBO only lists about $1.5 million in lost revenue, but factoring in the actual cost of the ID minus the $14 assesment leaves a total of $3.92 that the state pays for each ID.  When the actual cost of the ID ($17.92) by the number of those IDs issued, you come closer to the actual cost of the initiative which we estimate to be approximately $2 million. The main pro initiative website is: http://www.ms4voterid.com/ We could not find a website dedicated to opposing the initiative, but would like you to read the op-ed piece posted by ___ of the Jackson Free Press. Find that article by clicking here. Click here to read the actual text of the initiative and selected arguments for and against the proposed amendment.]]]]> ]]>

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