2015/10/6-The ballot sent out to absentee voters in Hinds County has complicated what many say is an already confusing voting process.

According to the sample ballot approved in September by the governor and secretary of state, the two proposed constitutional amendments should be clearly differentiated on the ballot. The options for voters who vote to change the state constitution should read “FOR Initiative Measure No. 42” and “FOR Alternative Measure No. 42 A,” the two dueling education initiatives.

However, the ballot sent to absentee voters in Hinds County leaves out the last “A” in “FOR Alternative Measure 42 A,” leading to concerns that voters could vote for Initiative 42A even though they intended to vote for Initiative 42.

525 ballots have been sent out to Hinds County voters as of Tuesday, according to the circuit clerk’s office.

Another section of the ballot also doesn’t match up to the sample ballot version. The sample ballot states the second option for the first question should read “AGAINST BOTH Initiative Measure No. 42 and Alternative Measure No. 42 A,” but the Hinds ballot reads “AGAINST APPROVAL OF EITHER Initiative Measure No. 42 OR Alternative Measure No. 42 A.”

Secretary of State spokeswoman Pamela Weaver said the correct sample ballot was made available to all counties.

“The State Board of Election Commissioners approved the correct sample ballot and made the correct ballot available in the Statewide Election Management System for use by all counties,” Weaver said in a statement. “Hinds County is an opt out county. The Secretary of State’s Office has no oversight in the formulation of its ballot.”

Hinds County Election Commissioner James Reed said he had been in a training class all day and had not seen the issues with the ballot.

“I’d rather not speculate on what happened,” he said.

Messages left for other commissioners were not immediately returned Tuesday.

In addition, the 42 For Better Schools campaign is asking the Secretary of State’s office to review ballots in all counties because the sample ballot it sent out through the statewide system placed the “A” in “FOR Alternative Measure No. 42 A” on the following line of text.

Weaver said no issues have been reported in any other counties.

“The Hinds County ballot was wrong in two separate places. The Secretary of State’s office is not responsible for a ballot changed by Hinds County,” Weaver said.

Initiative 42 was brought by advocates of increasing education funding, while Republican leadership in the legislature opposed to Initiative 42 later crafted the alternative measure, Initiative 42A.

The vote is a two-part process. Voters must first select whether to approve or oppose a change to Section 201 of the state constitution. If a person chooses to approve a change, he must then select whether to vote for Initiative 42 or its legislative alternative, Initiative 42A.

Initiative 42 would change the current language in the state constitution to require the state to provide an “adequate and efficient system of free public schools.” The constitution currently makes no mention of the quality of education the state is required to provide.

Initiative 42 also states the chancery court would have the power to enforce the requirement.

The legislature’s alternative Initiative 42A makes no mention of judicial oversight, which opponents of Initiative 42 have criticized as giving too much power to the courts. 42A instead states, “The Legislature shall, by general law, provide for the establishment, maintenance and support of an effective system of free public schools.”

Initiative 42A marks the first time in the state’s history the legislature has crafted an alternative to a citizen-sponsored ballot initiative.

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann recently described the ballot as “complicated.”

“It is a complicated ballot, because we have two votes (on the initiatives),” Hosemann said. “I trust voters will read both of those explanations on the ballot and make an informed decision.”

Some Mississippians are eligible to vote by absentee ballot because of age, health, work demands, affiliation with the military and temporary relocation for education.

Absentee ballots cast by the majority of voters must be received by the circuit clerk’s office by Nov. 2, the day before the general election. Circuit clerks must receive absentee ballots from members of the military who are overseas by the day of the election, Nov. 3.

Source: Kate Royals

The Clarion Ledger