THE
Daily
VOTING EDITION
MISSISSIPPIAN theDMonline.com
Thursday, September 28, 2023
Volume 112, No. 6
UM students vote: Presley vs. Reeves
Numerous hurdles stand in the way of young voters
BELLA BREWER
thedmnews@gmail.com
Red, blue or somewhere in between, students at the University of Mississippi are preparing to cast their votes in the Nov. 7 gubernatorial election. Of the three candidates — Republican incumbent Tate Reeves, Democrat Brandon Presley and Independent Gwendolyn Gray — students’ favor is split between Reeves and Presley. William Jackson Henshaw, a freshman elementary education major, shared why he will be voting for Gov. Reeves. “He is trying to make a change in education by raising teacher salaries and improving the course curriculum within Mississippi schools,” Henshaw said. “Also, there is a massive demand for teachers in the Delta region and that is definitely because of the low pay. There needs to be incentives for potential teachers to move to the Delta and teach in low-income areas. I think that there are no great candidates, but Reeves just seems like the most decent one.” Ashmit Malhotra, a freshman journalism major, also explained that his vote will go to Gov. Reeves. “I would rather keep him in office,” Malhotra said. “He is knowledgeable about the state of our economy in Mississippi
BRYNN BATES
thedmsports@gmail.com
GRAPHIC: VIOLET JIRA/ THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN
and has successfully provided job opportunities. He could have done a way better job at handling the healthcare crisis, but I hope that he imple-
ments change for the better the flaws of the incumbent, in the state’s infrastructure they seem optimistic that and healthcare situation.” Although these RepubSEE VOTING PAGE 3 lican voters acknowledged
As partisan tensions rise with new elections on the horizon, some college students are ready to register to vote and cast a ballot for the first time, while others find the process too confusing or irrelevant to try. “Younger voters overall are less familiar with the process of registering to vote simply because they are less likely to have done it before, and individuals are more likely to register if they know what is required of them to do so,” Assistant Professor of Political Science Jonathan Klingler said. When asking students around campus if they were registered to vote, the majority said they were not
SEE HURDLES PAGE 4
Registering to Vote in Mississippi In-State Students:
To register, students should fill out the voter registration form. The Center for Community Engagement has the form as well as student ambassadors who can walk people through the process and mail the form. Students can also go to the circuit clerk’s office, located at 1 Courthouse Square Suite 101, or City Hall at 107 Courthouse Square. The final way to register is to mail the Mississippi Mail-In Voter Registration Application. Students who are registering for the first time and do not have a Mississippi Driver’s License must include a copy of a valid photo ID or current utility bill. Students who are already registered to vote in Mississippi can re-submit the form or update their registration through the secretary of state’s website, according to Caroline Leonard, leader of the UM Voting Coalition. After the form is completed, mailed and processed, the student should receive a Voter ID card as verification that they have registered.
Mississippi law requires individuals who wish to vote to be registered at their permanent place of residence. If you are from another county in Mississippi but consider your school residence as your permanent place of residence, you can register to vote in Lafayette County. Once this is done, you can vote in countywide elections and also vote in statewide elections from a polling location in Lafayette County.
Out-of-State Students:
If you are from out of state and wish to register to vote in Mississippi, you must have been a resident of Mississippi and the county, city or town in which you wish to vote for 30 days prior to the election.
Less than two weeks remain to register to vote in Mississippi elections.
The Mississippi General Elections are on Nov. 7. You must be registered to vote 30 days before the elections to cast a vote.
OCT. 9 @5:00 P.M.: DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE “IN PERSON” IN GENERAL ELECTION Oct. 10: “MAILED” VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY THIS DATE.
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ROLLING FORK Nearly six months since the EF-4 tornado ravaged the small town of Rolling Fork, Miss., residents of the town are well into the process of rebuilding their homes and community. SEE PAGE 5
Other Important Dates
Sept. 25 – FIRST DAY TO ABSENTEE VOTE FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION Nov. 4 – LAST DAY TO VOTE ABSENTEE FOR GENERAL ELECTION The Lafayette County Circuit Courthouse will be open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, and Saturday, Nov. 4, for in-person absentee voting.
MICHAEL TRIGG “We wish him nothing but the best,” Kiffin said. “You know, that’s it. We wish him nothing but the best. He’s not part of our program, and that’s it.” SEE PAGE 8