- A new poll by Cygnal released by Speaker Jason White also shows that Mississippi voters now largely oppose the continued recruitment of data centers to the state and see inflation as a top concern.
According to new polling data released by Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives Jason White (R), a majority of voters in the Magnolia State support school choice, would like to see the ballot initiative process restored, want property taxes eliminated, and oppose recruiting more data centers to the state.
The statewide poll of 501 likely general election voters in Mississippi was shared by White on Tuesday. It was done by Cygnal, one of the nation’s most accurate polling groups, earlier this month using known registered voters spread across the state’s four congressional districts who were interviewed via phone and text.
“The members of the Mississippi House believe the work of improving our state is work worth doing. Future generations of Mississippians are counting on us to get it right,” Speaker White said. “The House has vision and is looking to move Mississippi forward with informed, verifiable data.”
The top current voter concerns included inflation (22.2%), crime (19.1%), healthcare (14.7%), reducing taxes (13.5%) and education (9.8%). Redistricting, restoring the ballot initiative process, and infrastructure all polled less than 6%.
Republicans prioritize crime (26%), inflation (21%) and taxes (18%) while Democrats lead with healthcare (28%) and inflation (24%).
School Choice
Speaker White and the Republican supermajority in the Mississippi House of Representatives has made expanding school choice a top priority in recent years, with efforts meeting their demise across the Capitol in the Senate.
Yet, the latest polling shows White and the House continue to be on solid footing with voters as a majority of respondents (41.1%) expressed support for Magnolia Student Accounts that allow eligible families use a portion of public education funding for approved expenses like private school tuition, tutoring, or transportation.
When asked if they supported creating a school choice program in Mississippi like in other states where student test scores have improved in both public and private schools as a result of increased options and competition, 50.1% said yes.
Further, 42.2% of respondents said they would be more likely to support a candidate if he/she supports school choice in Mississippi compared to 24.4% who said they would be less likely to support that candidate. Republicans said more likely by 52%.
Property Tax Elimination
Speaker White established a House Select Committee on Property Taxes this year, asking lawmakers to examine Mississippi’s property tax framework, explore reforms that provide relief to homeowners and businesses, and evaluate long-term strategies to ensure fairness and sustainability in local government funding.
Hearings have been held with more to come as lawmakers consider how to address property tax reduction or elimination, as has been pursued in other states.
According to the poll shared by White on Tuesday, 56.6% of respondents support eliminating property taxes on homestead property in Mississippi and 70.2% support eliminating property taxes on homestead property for Mississippians age 65 and older.
When asked which they would prefer – eliminating the real property tax on homestead property or eliminating car tag fees – 50.7% said property tax.
Republicans backed full repeal of property taxes by 67%, while Democrats split 40% to 39%.
Black voters, however, preferred eliminating car tag fee by 46%.
But eliminating property tax is a costly endeavor as those revenues are used to fund city, county, and local school district operations.
Respondents in the poll were split on how to make up the lost revenue, with 29.3% supporting raising the state’s 7% sales tax and 34.6% supporting lawmakers allowing a local option sales tax that cities and
counties could choose to adopt. Another third (36.2%) were unsure.
School District Consolidation
House Education Committee Chairman Rob Roberson (R) has been a vocal proponent of exploring school and district consolidation as the number of public school students has steadily decreased in Mississippi while costs of education continue to climb.
The recent poll noted that some lawmakers are considering consolidating school districts to reduce administrative costs, meaning combining districts that currently each have their own superintendent, central office, and school board into a single district with one superintendent, one central office, and one school board, while keeping local schools open.
Respondents were nearly equally split to that consolidation, with 36.9% in support and 37.8% opposed.
Consolidation faces opposition from voters who earn less than $50,000 annually by 50%, black voters by 49%, and women by 42%.
Men (46%) and Republicans (47%) support consolidation.
Ballot Initiative Process
Mississippi has been without a ballot initiative since the 2021 state Supreme Court decision on Medical Marijuana Initiative 65 invalidated the process on the basis that the signature threshold in the state constitution could not be met.
The former initiative process required signatures to come from five congressional districts when Mississippi now only has four.
Efforts to restore the process have failed in multiple sessions, with the sticking point between the House and Senate being over the signature threshold required to place initiatives on the ballot.
Lawmakers have noted in prior sessions that 24 states do not have a ballot initiative process. Mississippi was among the 26 states that did prior to the state Supreme Court striking down the process.
The poll released by Speaker White shows strong support for restoring the process in Mississippi at 72%. A higher percentage were recorded as unsure (12.2%) than being opposed to the restoration of the initiative (7.9%).
Republicans support restoration by 78%, Independents by 75%, and Democrats by 66%.
Data Centers
Mississippi has seen billions of dollars flow into the state in recent years as data centers have located in the central and northern regions.
However, public sentiment has turned against the economic development projects during this midterm election cycle as politically aligned special interest groups have targeted data centers across the U.S.
A Fox News report in September noted how “some experts are sounding the alarm on the various left-wing groups and climate activists who are pouring money and resources into data center opposition campaigns.”
“Several left-wing organizations backing data center opposition have benefited from major progressive funding networks, including Public Citizen, which has listed George Soros’ Open Society Foundations among foundations whose ‘generous support’ makes its work possible, and the Sierra Club, which received $3.6 million from Arabella Advisors’ Sixteen Thirty Fund between 2014 and 2022,” Fox News reported. “CodePink, which has targeted data center projects, has received funding linked to socialist megadonor Neville Roy Singham, who has deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Fox News Digital previously reported that Singham funneled roughly $285 million into six activist nonprofits, as the U.S. and China battle for global AI dominance.”
The polling released by Speaker White shows Mississippi voters now largely oppose (47.9%) the continued recruitment of data centers to Mississippi. Only 28.3% supported the state’s efforts to bring in more data center investments.
Cygnal said concern about electricity costs outweighed the promise of jobs across nearly every group.
Women oppose further data center recruitment by 51%, and voters who make less than $50,000 per year expressed opposition by the same percentage. Voters earning over $100,000 annually also opposed continued data center recruitment by 50%.
Definite Republican voters, on the other hand, support recruitment of future data centers by 43%, not a majority.
Other Responses
Overall responses to the question, “Would you say things in Mississippi are headed in the right direction
or off on the wrong track?” were split, with 42.8% saying the Magnolia State was headed in the right direction and 45.4% saying otherwise.
However, a deeper look shows that only 20% of Republican respondents said Mississippi is on the wrong track.
Black voters said the state was on the wrong track by 76%, with voters in the 2nd Congressional District, represented by 30-plus year incumbent Democrat Congressman Bennie Thompson sharing that sentiment at 66%.
The poll also asked how the respondents planned to vote in the November general election. An overwhelming 78.3% said they would be voting in-person on Election Day.
You can see review the full Cygnal poll below.
Frank Corder
