Dueling initiatives 42, 42A baffle voters
Of about 45 Mississippi residents asked to review the ballot by The Hechinger Report, four were able to complete the sample ballot in a way that accurately reflected their intent. From the Huddle House in Winona to an outlet mall in Pearl; from the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson to a feed store on the outskirts of Greenwood; from outside a gas station in Edwards to a community college campus in Holmes County, Mississippians of varied education levels, ages and backgrounds were puzzled by the ballot’s legal language. They were equally confused by the two different sections that must be marked for the ballot to be counted.
Brian Anderson, a political science professor and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, said he isn’t surprised to hear about the statewide confusion.
“It certainly could have been easier,” Anderson said.
Clarion Ledger
10/25/15
Magnolia Tribune
