THREAD—MS House Rep. Omeira Scott made a powerful oral argument for her amendment to an election bill last Tuesday.
Scott's amendment would prevent crowded polling places this November by providing the same precincts Mississippi provided in 2012, some of which have closed. 1/8
Scott's amendment would prevent crowded polling places this November by providing the same precincts Mississippi provided in 2012, some of which have closed. 1/8
Rep. @CJBeckett, chair of the House Elections Committee, opposed Scott's amendment.
Beckett thought Scott's amendment could create expenses for counties, and Beckett made other vague remarks urging the House not to mitigate against crowded polling places. 2/8
Beckett thought Scott's amendment could create expenses for counties, and Beckett made other vague remarks urging the House not to mitigate against crowded polling places. 2/8
Scott began her rebuttal by noting that the federal government provided money to Mississippi to cover expenses incurred because of COVID-19, such as opening recently closed precincts so that voters won't have to wait in crowded polling places this November. 3/8
Scott then proceeded to the meat of her argument. Scott's amendment would maintain the precincts that the MS Legislature voted to open in 2012 (before SCOTUS gutted the Voting Rights Act).
IOW Scott's amendment would undo precinct closures and prevent further closures. 4/8
IOW Scott's amendment would undo precinct closures and prevent further closures. 4/8
Scott described the specific impact that her impact would have on her own city and portions of adjacent counties she represents, where precinct closures since 2012 have caused crowded polling places, which are likely to endanger voters this November. 5/8
Scott noted that COVID-19 disproportionately affects African Americans (whereas Mississippi closed the precincts at issue only after SCOTUS gutted the VRA).
But Scott explains that her amendment protects MS voters regardless of color and implores the House to protect voters. 6/8
But Scott explains that her amendment protects MS voters regardless of color and implores the House to protect voters. 6/8
Speaker @PhilipGunnMS takes the vote. Scott's amendment fails a voice vote and proceeds to roll call. 7/8
The 39-73 roll-call vote kills Scott's amendment, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.
Therefore, polling places in Mississippi that are crowded due to recent precinct closures will remain crowded this November, and further precinct closures may occur as well. 8/8
Therefore, polling places in Mississippi that are crowded due to recent precinct closures will remain crowded this November, and further precinct closures may occur as well. 8/8
The MS Senate's election bill does not address precinct closures. Instead, the Senate bill functions mainly to (a) moot a successful @LawyersComm lawsuit against our absentee voting system and (b) manipulate voter turnout. 9/
"They remind me there's a lot of liberal folks in other schools who maybe we don't want to vote. Maybe we want to make it more difficult. I think that's a great idea!"
—@cindyhydesmith campaigning for US Senate in 2018
Hyde-Smith faces @MikeEspyMS again this November. 10/
—@cindyhydesmith campaigning for US Senate in 2018
Hyde-Smith faces @MikeEspyMS again this November. 10/
