Mississippi Election Shows The Power Of Black Voters 

As Mississippi sits on the verge of electing Scott Colom, outstanding absentee ballots and affidavit ballots have required a diligent post-election sprint to ensure every vote counts. Prioritizing full political participation in the self-proclaimed greatest democracy ever shouldn’t require this much effort. 

Written off as a red state, Mississippi sits on the verge of defying national expectations. Mississippi and Alaska are the last two states to call their respective Senate races. And while many pundits and national elites didn’t see Mississippi coming, folks on the ground never stopped believing what was possible. 

And yet, as our ancestors have done for over 150 years, Black voters in Mississippi were steadfast in making sure ballots were properly counted and without interference. As reported by Mississippi Today, on Monday, groups organized an action outside Jackson City Hall while U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and Mississippi state officials held a press conference. 

The ability to displace thousands of voters with simple administrative hiccups is part of the reason why the Trump administration and voter suppression allies have attacked election administration.  

Mississippi voting challenges are a system feature, not a bug

The challenges Mississippi voters faced on Election Day are a feature of a system clinging to the vestiges of Jim Crow and determined to stifle the country’s largest Black community. During a press conference on Friday, Harya Tarekegn, director of advocacy and policy at the Mississippi Center for Justice, stressed the need for a transparent and timely process for counting affidavit ballots for election certification. 

She noted issues with the Secretary of State using Experian data to move people to an inactive list.
“This was a lot of hard work by local groups that have been registering folks to vote, that have been working on voter turnout,” she said. “Mississippi really showed up in this election, and that needs to be the story.” 

In recent remarks, NAACP National President and CEO Derrick Johnson explained that another issue involved the discrepancy between when poll books are printed and voter registration closing. 

“Poll books are printed 45 days before the election, but voter registration closes 30 days before the election,” he said. “So there may be some discrepancy there—those are areas where affidavit balloting can resolve it. But the other side of that is the state has not invested to ensure our voting systems are upgraded.”

According to Ballotpedia, 47 states and the District of Columbia have some form of no-excuse early voting. Mississippi does not. Only voters who fall within certain categories can cast an absentee ballot in person, which effectively works as a limited form of early voting. 

The state also has not updated its voter registration system. Mississippi is one of eight states without online voter registration. Voters must either mail an application or submit it in person at the local circuit clerk’s office. 

Mississippi organizers and democratic legislators have worked to protect the voting rights and encourage political participation. After the Supreme Court’s damaging blow to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, groups put forth the Robert G. Clark, Jr. Voting Rights Act. Named for the late Robert G. Clark, a civil rights activist and the first Black person elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives since Reconstruction. It contains eight core provisions that would help fill gaps left in the absence of a fully enforceable VRA. 

“With federal attacks on the right to vote increasing every day, it’s more important than ever that Mississippi enacts the Robert G. Clark Jr. Voting Rights Act to protect the state’s voters of color,” read a brief from the Legal Defense Fund. “Whether it’s voter suppression tactics that make it harder to vote or hidden agendas in redistricting designed to suppress Black political power, Mississippi urgently needs to address discriminatory barriers to the ballot and democratic participation.”

Winning in Mississippi is a win for Black political power 

To be clear, winning in Mississippi isn’t just about shifting Democratic control in the Senate. But Black organizers always knew this moment was possible. Their work shows the importance of trusting local communities to organize themselves. 

Four years ago, when I co-produced the “As the South Votes” limited series podcast with Scalawag Magazine, I knew we needed to start our conversation with Arekia Bennett and Mississippi Votes. Mississippi has been integral to our generational fight for voting rights and political participation. 

From giving the country its first two Black Senators, Hiram Revels in 1870 and Blanche K. Bruce in 1875, to serving as fertile ground in the Black freedom struggle. And the innovations from groups like Mississippi Votes and other members of the Count Every Vote Coalition have served as a beacon amid a sea of disenfranchisement and political discord. 

Now, the Magnolia state is poised to send its first Black Senator in over 100 years to serve in the U.S. Senate. As of Tuesday morning, Colom maintained a strong lead. Three years after outgoing Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith blocked Colom’s nomination for federal judge, he’s about to block her re-election. 

 ”This progress did not happen overnight, and it is not the result of just one person or one organization,” said Jaida Barnes of Mississippi Votes Action Fund during a press conference. “It’s the result of decades of organizing across Mississippi, including years of showing up on college campuses where voter participation has historically been low. It’s the result of registering thousands of students to vote and educating them about the issues that directly impact their lives and empowering them to take action.”

SEE ALSO:

All Eyes On Mississippi And Alaska As More Democratic Upsets Loom

A Black Man Just Flipped A Mississippi County Named After KKK Founder