AG: “Voter ID requirement will not be in place before November election”

From The Mississippi Link Newswire

JACKSON – Attorney General Jim Hood said Tuesday that despite being passed by Mississippi voters last year, registered voters will not have to show ID to vote in the upcoming November election. Hood said the reason for that being the Department of Justice has requested more information from the State before they rule on the proposed voter ID law.

In its response to the State, DOJ says more information is necessary in order to be able to determine that the proposed changes “neither have a discriminatory purpose nor will have a discriminatory effect.”

The DOJ included a list of information needed to complete its review of the submission. That list includes a copy of data that supports the state’s determination that voter ID “will not have a retrogressive effect on minority citizens in the effective exercise of their electoral franchise”.

The DOJ also asks to review a detailed description of any measures the State intends to put in place to “ameliorate this prohibited effect”, which would include the rules and regulations being created by the Secretary of State.

“All the DOJ is saying in this response is that they need more details of the State’s plan in order to make a determination,” said Attorney General Hood. “What this means is that the Voter ID requirement will not be in place before the November election,” said Attorney General Hood. “You will not be required to show ID at the poll until DOJ interposes no objections or pre-clears Mississippi’s voter ID bill. ”

Some of the requested information is already compiled and can be easily provided. Once the State provides the requested information, the DOJ will have 60 days to respond.

Mississippi is not alone in fighting for voter ID requirements. The Justice Department has already shot down similar measures from Texas and South Carolina amid concerns they would dilute minority voting strength.

And just this week, a judge postponed Pennsylvania’s tough new voter identification requirement ordering that it not be enforced in the presidential election.