According to the The Washington Post, Mississippi voter turnout was at roughly 32%. Only one other state in the country clocked a percentage under 35%. District 3 candidate Shawaski Young voiced his disappointment in a recent statement that democrats specifically did not come out.
Nsombi Lambright-Hanes is the executive director of One Voice in Mississippi. She and her organization work closely with underprivileged communities in the state to make sure they get the opportunity and information they need to vote. She says there are a variety of reasons that communities in poverty face roadblocks when it comes to voting.
“Mississippi is very behind,” she said. “Mississippi does not have online voter registration, many individuals do not receive their registration card which tells them where to vote, we also have an antiquated absentee ballot process.”
Lambright-Hanes also says that attitudes towards politics are not the problem, but citizens have voiced their irritation with the process of voting to her many times.
“What I do see is a lot of frustration from individuals,” she said. “They may have been turned away from a polling place… or they may be frustrated with the political process, but I wouldn’t call it apathy.”
Election of state-wide officials and legislators will be next year, and the deadline to register to vote in the 2023 party primaries is July 10th.
