INITIATIVE MEASURE NO. 15

SPONSOR: Michael D. Retzer, P.O. Box 60, Jackson, MS 39205-0060; 601-948-5191

SUBJECT MATTER: Voter Identification

BALLOT TITLE: Should the Mississippi Constitution be amended to require a person to submit identification in order to vote?

BALLOT SUMMARY: This amendment would: require voters to submit one of several forms of valid identification to election workers in order to prove that the voter is registered to vote; allow a person without such identification to sign an affidavit affirming his identity, such affidavit to be verified under procedures established by law; and make it a felony to present false identification or to falsely sign an affidavit of identity in order to vote.

ORIGINAL FILING: July 22, 1998

STATUS: Expired

  
Initiative Information

The official ballot title and ballot summary for an initiative measure are prepared by the Mississippi Attorney General's Office. Initiative petitions are valid for one year. According to Mississippi law, for an initiative petition to be sufficient a minimum of 91,673 certified signatures must be gathered; with at least 18,355 certified signatures from each of the five congressional districts. The number of signatures required represents 12% of the total number of votes cast for Governor in the last gubernatorial general election. All signatures on the petition must be certified by county Circuit Clerks as those of registered Mississippi voters.

For more information on the initiative process in Mississippi, consult the Mississippi Constitution of 1890, Section 273; and Miss. Code Ann., Sections 23-17-1 through 23-17-61 (1972).