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).