Mississippi 2020 ballot measures
- Election date: Nov. 3
- Registration deadline(s): Oct. 5
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Recount laws
- Early voting starts: N/A
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 3 (postmarked); Nov. 10 (received)
- Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots
- Voter ID: Photo ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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Three statewide ballot measures were certified to appear on the ballot in Mississippi on November 3, 2020. All were approved.
On May 14, 2021, the Mississippi Supreme Court overturned Initiative 65, the 2020 medical marijuana initiative. The ruling stated that the initiative petition did not comply with the signature distribution requirements in the Mississippi Constitution and that it is impossible for any petition to meet the requirements and has been impossible since congressional reapportionment in 2001.
The six justices wrote, "... Whether with intent, by oversight, or for some other reason, the drafters of [the constitutional signature distribution requirement] wrote a ballot initiative process that cannot work in a world where Mississippi has fewer than five representatives in Congress. To work in today’s reality, it will need amending—something that lies beyond the power of the Supreme Court."[1]
The 1992 constitutional amendment that granted the power of citizen initiative in Mississippi required signatures to be collected evenly from all five congressional districts that existed at the time. It mandated no more than one-fifth of the required signatures could be collected from any single congressional district. During 2001 redistricting after the 2000 census, however, the number of congressional districts in the state was reduced to four.
Sponsors of some initiatives targeting the 2022 ballot in Mississippi filed a lawsuit challenging the Supreme Court's ruling.[2]
Click here for more information on the lawsuit and the ruling.
On the ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndICA | Ballot Measure 1 (Initiative 65 and Alternative 65A) | Marijuana | Legalizes medical marijuana for qualified persons with debilitating medical conditions |  |
| LRCA | Ballot Measure 2 | Elections and State executive official measures | Removes the requirement that a candidate for governor or state office receive the highest number of votes in a majority of the state's 122 House districts (the electoral vote requirement) and provides for a runoff election process |  |
| LRSS | Ballot Measure 3 | Motto and symbols | Asks voters to approve or reject a new state flag design created by the Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag | |
Summary of campaign contributions
- See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2020
| Ballot Measure | Support Contributions | Oppose Contributions | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Ballot Measure 1, Initiative 65 and Alternative 65A, Medical Marijuana Amendment (2020) | $7,586,740.59 | $314,811.00 |
|
| Mississippi Ballot Measure 2, Remove Electoral Vote Requirement and Establish Runoffs for Gubernatorial and State Office Elections Amendment (2020) | $0.00 | $0.00 |
|
| Mississippi Ballot Measure 3, State Flag Referendum (2020) | $0.00 | $0.00 |
|
Getting measures on the ballot
Mississippi allows citizen initiatives in the form of indirectly initiated constitutional amendments. Signature requirements for initiated petitions are determined by calculating 12 percent of the votes cast for governor in the most recent election. At least 86,185 valid signatures are required to put indirect initiated constitutional amendments before voters in 2020.
Beginning with the day the sponsor receives the ballot title and summary, proponents have one year to circulate petitions and receive certification from the county circuit clerks. Petitions must be submitted to the secretary of state at least 90 days prior to the beginning of the regular session—which begins in the first week of January. Signature petition sheets must be submitted to and certified by county officials prior to submission to the secretary of state. Petitioners are recommended to coordinate with county elections officials to determine when signatures must be submitted to county officials in order to meet the early October (of the preceding year) deadline for submission to the secretary of state.
Once it is determined that proponents of a measure have collected enough signatures and the measure is filed with the Mississippi State Legislature, the legislature must act on the measure within four months. The legislature may choose to adopt the measure by a majority vote in each house. Whether the legislature adopts or rejects the measure, the proposed amendment proceeds to the ballot. The legislature may also choose to approve an amended or alternate version of the measure. In this case, both measures would appear on the ballot together (See: Competing initiatives for details). The Mississippi State Legislature may also place measures on the ballot as legislatively referred constitutional amendments with a 2/3 vote in each chamber.
An initiative must receive a majority of the total votes cast for that particular initiative and must also receive more than 40 percent of the total votes cast in that election.[3]
Not on the ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Gubernatorial Elections Amendment (SCR 548) | Elections and State executive official measures | Provides that if a candidate for Governor of Mississippi does not receive a majority vote of the people, they will proceed to a runoff election (instead of being chosen by a vote of the Mississippi House of Representatives) | 
|
| LRCA | Higher Education Board of Trustees Appointment Amendment (HCR 31) | Education | Requires members of a state higher education Board of Trustees to be appointed by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House; rather than solely appointed by the Governor |
|
| LRCA | Higher Education Executive Officer Selection Amendment (HCR 51) | Education | Requires the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning to create a policy to govern how executive officers of higher education institutions are selected |
|
| LRCA | Marsy's Law Crime Victims Rights Amendment (HCR 35) | Law enforcement | Adds specific rights of crime victims, together known as a Marsy's Law, to the Mississippi Constitution |
|
| LRCA | Marsy's Law Crime Victims Rights Amendment (March 2020) | Law enforcement | Expands the constitutional rights of crime victims |
|
| IndICA | Redistricting Amendment | Redistricting | Requires state legislative districts to have "substantially equal population" and to keep counties and municipalities from being divided into different districts | 
|
| IndICA | Marijuana Legalization Amendment | Marijuana | Legalizes marijuana for persons age 18 and older |
|
| IndICA | Marijuana Legalization, Criminal Record Expungement, and Firearm Possession for Non-Violent Felons Amendment | Marijuana and Firearms | Legalizes marijuana for persons age 18 and older; directs legislature to create a process for criminal record expungement and allowing firearm possession by non-violent felons |
|
| IndICA | Open Primary Elections Amendment | Elections and campaigns | Makes primary elections in Mississippi open rather than closed |
|
| IndICA | Open Primary Elections for County Offices, District Attorneys, and Justice Court Judges Amendment | Elections and campaigns | Makes primary elections for county offices, district attorneys, and justice court judges in Mississippi open rather than closed |
|
Historical facts
- A total of 14 measures appeared on statewide ballots in Mississippi from 1995 to 2018.
- From 1995 to 2018, the number of measures on even-year statewide ballots ranged from zero to two.
- Between 1995 and 2018, an average of between zero and one measure appeared on the ballot in Mississippi during even-numbered election years.
- Between 1995 and 2018, about 50 percent (7 of 14) of the total number of measures that appeared on statewide ballots were approved, and about 43 percent (6 of 14) were defeated. One measure was not formatted as a yes or no question; rather, the measure asked voters to select a preferred flag for the state of Mississippi.
State profile
| Demographic data for Mississippi | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 2,989,390 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 46,923 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 59.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 37.4% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 1.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 2.9% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 82.3% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 20.7% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $39,665 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 27% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Mississippi. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
Mississippi voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, two are located in Mississippi, accounting for 0.97 percent of the total pivot counties.[4]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Mississippi had two Retained Pivot Counties, 1.10 of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Mississippi coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Mississippi
- United States congressional delegations from Mississippi
- Public policy in Mississippi
- Endorsers in Mississippi
- Mississippi fact checks
- More...
Voter guides
2020 State Cannabis Voter Guides
See also
- 2020 ballot measures
- List of Mississippi ballot measures
- Laws governing ballot measures in Mississippi
- Campaign finance requirements for Mississippi ballot measures
External links
- ↑ Mississippi Supreme Court, "IN RE INITIATIVE MEASURE NO. 65: MAYOR MARY HAWKINS BUTLER v MICHAEL WATSON, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI," accessed May 14, 2021
- ↑ WMC Action News, "Challenge filed to Mississippi Supreme Court’s ruling on Initiative 65," accessed June 3, 2021
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Mississippi's initiative process," accessed December 27, 2018
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
