Hosemann issues Statement on Brennan Center Voter ID Report
“The Brennan Center ‘Report’ is purposely inaccurate and is misleading in its statements about Mississippi.
Mississippi is cited as having 746, 316 voting age citizens more than ten (10) miles from the nearest ID-issuing office. The ‘Report’ counts only Public Safety offices open more than two (2) days per week. Yet the ‘Report’
acknowledges ‘Mississippi Law requires county offices to provide ID.’ There are ninety-two (92) of these offices located in all eighty-two (82) counties which are open five (5) days a week from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. By purposely excluding these offices, the ‘Report’ exaggerates the population number, then multiplies it by the ‘estimated’ number of people without transportation, to provide a totally fraudulent number of 48,329 voting citizens without a vehicle more than ten (10) miles from a state ID issuing office. This statement is false and the Brennan Center had knowledge to the contrary when the ‘Report’ was issued.
Further, it claims the cost of a birth certificate, if one were necessary, is $15, and there is a Mississippi ‘Catch-22’ which is ‘particularly perverse.’ It states Mississippi requires a photo-ID to obtain a birth certificate. What they do not say is each Circuit Clerk will be able to access the National Association for Public Health Statistics to verify available birth certificate data across the country at no cost to the applicant by simply obtaining basic information from the applicant.
Our State takes seriously its obligations to qualified voters. We are working to identify all citizens who may not have an ID, to assist with transportation to a local courthouse, and to provide a completely free voter ID. Sixty-six (66) individuals have contacted our Office thus far indicating a need for a voter ID.
The author claims to be a ‘long-time organizer, lobbyist, and an experienced trial attorney’ but, obviously, is not a statistician.”
MS SOS Delbert Hosemann Press Release
7/27/12
