Today, a new poll released by the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund (SPLC Action Fund) and the New Southern Majority IE PAC showed overwhelming bi-partisan support for restoring the state’s ballot initiative process. The poll, conducted by Tulchin Research, shows that sixty-five percent 65% of Mississippians support restoring a ballot initiative process with only 14% opposing and 21% percent undecided.
Prior to 2020, Mississippi had a process that required a majority in 5 congressional districts to introduce a ballot initiative, but the state Supreme Court struck it down on the grounds that Mississippi has only 4 congressional districts. A new law must be passed by the state legislature to restore the ballot initiative process in Mississippi. The SPLC has called for a ballot initiative process that makes it reasonably accessible for Mississippians to pass popular measures through a statewide vote, like the state had done in the past.