Secretary Hosemann says SCOTUS ruling on Arizona law not an issue with Mississippi Voter ID.

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann’s office on Monday said a U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down an Arizona law is not pertinent to Mississippi’s pending voter ID law.

“Mississippi uses the federal form for voter registration developed by the (Election Assistance Commission) which does not require documentary proof of citizenship,” said Hosemann spokeswoman Pamela Weaver. ”The EAC form only requires the applicant state, under penalty of perjury, that he or she is a U.S. Citizen. Therefore, this ruling has no effect on Mississippi.”

The high court on Monday issued a ruling against Arizona’s law, passed as a ballot initiative by voters in 2004, would invalidate a federal voter registration form accepted by all states. The form requires those registering to vote swear they are U.S. citizens. The Arizona law required proof, such as a birth certificate or passport.

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Canton Democrat calls elderly woman “baboon’s ass” during vote counting, attempts to steal ballot boxes.

Editors Note: Yes, we only usually post stories with a statewide focus or appeal. But, I felt this one just had to be shared.

A member of the Canton Democratic Municipal Executive Committee was arrested late Tuesday night in the Madison County courthouse when a disagreement about vote counting led to an altercation.

Witnesses told Madison County deputies that 41-year-old Kimberly Readus was involved in an altercation with an elderly woman, when Readus and other committee members attempted to leave the courthouse with unsealed ballot boxes.

Bystanders added that Readus and the other committee members were attempting to leave the courthouse before completing the vote count.

Readus reportedly called the woman a “baboon’s ass” during the altercation. She was subsequently charged with disturbing the peace, resisting arrest and providing false information to law enforcement.

via WLBT.

DOJ fishing for information on MS Voter ID.

The U.S. Department of Justice still is considering whether to preclear Mississippi’s voter identification requirement that was approved by voters in November 2011.

Jan Schaefer, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Jim Hood, said information requested by the Justice Department on March 21 “is being sought and will be submitted to DOJ as it is collected from various officials and agencies which have it.”

Pamela Weaver, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, said the Justice Department in March requested “any correspondence between legislators, elected officials, employees and members of the public regarding voter ID. Because this was an unusually broad request without specific dates, we worked with the Justice Department on clarifying the scope of information and time frame.”

Once the Justice Department receives the information, it will have 60 days to respond. Under federal law, any changes to Mississippi elections must be approved by the Justice Department to ensure they do not violate minority voting rights.

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Complaint alleges more registered to vote than eligible in Jeff Davis and Walthall counties.

A nonprofit group has sued the election commissions in Jefferson Davis and Walthall counties in federal court, claiming each county has more registered voters on the books than residents eligible to vote.

The American Civil Rights Union filed both lawsuits in U.S. District Court late last month, asking the court to declare violation of the National Voting Registration Act of 1993 and forcing the counties to perform registration list maintenance, along with attorney’s fees.

“ … Defendant has violated (the NVRA) by failing to make a reasonable effort to conduct voter list maintenance programs in elections for federal office and by failing to produce records and data related to those efforts,” both very similar complaints state.

The Walthall County complaint alleges that more than 124 percent of residents eligible to vote were registered, with the 2010 U.S. Census indicating 11,368 eligible voters while 14,108 voters are registered.

The Jefferson Davis County complaint alleges Jefferson Davis County has 10,078 registered voters with a voting age population of only 9,563 according to the 2010 U.S. Census.

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High number of absentee ballots has Sec. Hosemann watching municipal elections closely.

The Secretary of State’s Office will conduct a thorough review of absentee ballots cast in some cities in the upcoming Municipal Primary Election. This review comes on the heels of several complaints from municipal clerks, elected officials, and citizens regarding a high number of absentee ballots cast thus far in the primary.

“A high number of absentee ballots cast this early in the primary causes concern for our Municipal Clerks and our Agency and may lead our citizens to question the integrity of their election,” says Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann.

The Secretary of State’s Office has also received complaints from some municipal clerks stating some individuals have allegedly been solicited to cast an absentee ballot.

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$695,000 approved by Senate for Sec. Of State budget to go towards Voter ID defense.

The Mississippi Senate approved $695,000 for the secretary of state to defend the state’s new voter ID law.

Funding for the secretary of state’s office was rejected last week in a Senate vote, but several senators were absent from the chamber at the time. Thirteen senators voted against the Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann’s budget Tuesday, but it passed.

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Senate dispute over Voter ID holds up approval of Secretary of State’s budget.

Mississipi state senator David Blount (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Mississippi senators rejected the secretary of state’s budget Thursday over an argument about paying lawyers to defend a proposed voter identification law.

It’s probably just a temporary setback in setting an overall state spending plan for fiscal 2014, which begins July 1.

Appropriations Chairman Eugene “Buck” Clarke, R-Hollandale, said he’ll bring the secretary of state’s budget bill back up next week and he expects it to pass when attendance is better. Several senators were out of the chamber and didn’t vote Thursday.

“I think some of them went to lunch early, to be honest,” Clarke told reporters.

Mississippi needs federal approval for any election changes, and a voter ID proposal was submitted to the Justice Department months ago. If it’s rejected there, Republicans want to ask federal judges in Washington, D.C., to approve it.

Senate Bill 2901 says the secretary of state could spend up to $695,000 for voter ID litigation during the budget year.

Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, said it’s the attorney general’s job, not the secretary of state’s, to submit election proposals to the Justice Department. He said there’s no point in paying two agencies to do the same job.

“You can be for voter ID and against wasting money,” Blount said.

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Hosemann submits proposed Voter ID rules to DOJ for approval.

Mississippi’s top elections official said Tuesday that he has given the federal government proposed rules for how the state intends to carry out a voter identification law that is in limbo.

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann’s submission to the U.S. Justice Department is part of the state’s process of seeking federal approval of the law that would require every voter to show a driver’s license or other photo ID at the polls.

The law can’t take effect without clearance from the Justice Department or a federal court. It’s unclear when, or how, the department will respond. Hosemann started seeking approval several months ago.

“Our agency is proposing procedures to ensure every eligible voter who does not currently have acceptable photo ID will be able to obtain an ID easily and free of charge,” Republican Hosemann said in a news release Tuesday.

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Section 5 Should Go: Federal law is being misused to victimize black Mississippians.

Lum says Hinds GOP Chairman Pete Perry misled him into signing Hinds County Voter Registration in 2011.

Bradley Lum, a candidate for a special House election for Rankin County, says a challenge of his residency is dirty politics and he was misled by a local GOP official who now appears to be working against him.

The state Constitution requires a candidate be a resident of the legislative district for which he seeks office for at least two years. Lum says he bought his Flowood home in August 2010. But while a law school student in Jackson, he voted absentee twice in Hinds County in August 2011 and served as a paid poll worker. He signed documents claiming he was a Hinds resident at the time, including documents that warned of a $5,000 fine or jail sentence for making false statements.

Lum said he told Hinds County Republican Party Chairman Pete Perry that, although he was still registered to vote in Hinds, he was living in Rankin County at the time. He said Perry told him he could still vote and work polls in Hinds. Lum said he didn’t look closely at the documents he signed and was “naive.” Now, Lum says, Perry is trying to help sink his campaign and help one of his opponents in the four-man race.

“I bought my house in August of 2010,” Lum said. “I was married in January of 2011 and have a Rankin County marriage license. … I took the advice of Pete Perry because I wanted to help him and the Republican Party protect the votes in Hinds County.”

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Voter Registration documents show Lum registered in Hinds County

Below are the voter registration documents and the sign in sheets showing that Bradley Lum registered and voted in Hinds County in August of 2011. This would make him ineligible for the District 59 office he now seeks, or would make him guilty of voter fraud.

See full story HERE.

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