Mississippi House Bill HB1186

Mississippi 2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/14/24
• Refer: 2/14/24
• Failed: 3/5/24

Caption

Voter roll purge; require Secretary of State to post notice of each time the purge occurs.

Impact

The implications of HB 1186 are significant as it affects the procedures for purging names from the Statewide Elections Management System (SEMS). The bill aims to ensure that voters who are removed from the rolls due to disqualifications, such as death or felony convictions, are properly communicated through public notices. This could enhance electoral integrity and public awareness concerning voter eligibility but may also raise concerns about the accuracy and fairness of these purges.

Summary

House Bill 1186 proposes amendments to several sections of the Mississippi Code of 1972 regarding the management of voter registration and the maintenance of the voter roll. The bill mandates that the Secretary of State must publish a notification on their website each time a voter roll purge occurs, detailing the date of such purges. This notice must remain accessible on the Secretary of State's website for at least one year after the purge has taken place, thereby increasing transparency in the removal of voters from the electoral rolls.

Contention

Notably, there could be contention surrounding what constitutes a disenfranchising crime and how frequently names should be purged. Critics may argue that aggressive purging could disenfranchise eligible voters, particularly in marginalized communities. The bill attempts to align with broader rules dictated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, yet the actual implementation and interpretation of these provisions could lead to legal disputes or public outrage over alleged unfair practices in voter registration and maintenance.