Most Minority Voters Rejected Miss. Voter ID Bill, Study Finds
While a majority of Mississippi voters approved a bill last November to show a government-issued photo ID before casting a ballot, more than 75 percent of the state’s minority population voted to reject the measure, according to a new study by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR).
The study, released this week, shows that voter preferences for the bill, which amends the state constitution, are polarized along racial lines. The findings suggest that the issue is likely to further inflame an ongoing debate about voting rights laws across the country.
The bill passed last November with 62 percent support. Among those who favored the bill, approximately 83 percent were white, according to LCCR’s analysis.
According to the latest census data, about 59 percent of Mississippi’s population is white, 37 percent black, 0.9 percent Asian, and 2.7 percent Latino.
newamericamedia.org
1/14/12
Magnolia Tribune
