Hosemann stated that the raw vote fell from 1,285,584 2012 to 1,209 357 this year. Hosemann said it was difficult to attribute the decline to one factor. Hosemann stated, “I looked at all the counties and found that some of them were more Republican than others. You had less votes in those counties.” It’s difficult to say. It’s possible that there were more contested local elections, such as a hotter House race, or something similar.” Hosemann’s positive is that 99.9% of voters brought acceptable photo IDs to the polls on Election Day. There have been some criticisms that voter identification laws in the state may have depressed voter turnout. The polling indicated that Trump would win the state easily and he received 60 percent of the Mississippi votes. Trump won the Gulf Coast Region easily, along with much of northern Mississippi, including DeSoto County, which is heavily populated. Democrat Hillary Clinton won the Delta largely in blue. Trump and Gov. Hosemann, despite Phil Bryant’s prevote prognostication of “rigged elections”, was happy to report that there were no major issues. Hosemann also noted the absence of Department of Justice observers. Hosemann stated that observers have been in the state since 1965’s Voting Act. Hosemann cited the absence of election observers to acknowledge the state’s progress. Hosemann stated that the United States Justice Department sent 500 different (election-observer) observers across the country. “Twenty-eight of the states had observers, but Mississippi was not among them. You get the idea. Hosemann stated that the key to the election’s relative success was the collaboration across the aisle in regulations. He said that Republicans and Democrats were invited to meet with the election commissioners, the board of supervisors, the circuit clerks, the special interest groups, and the League of Women Voters prior to the election. “We got them all in and spent months drafting regulations. In the end, every one of them supported it. Hosemann stated that this is the key to Mississippi’s future. “The fact you can take the collective intellect, and put them in a space and come up with common sense solutions.” The majority of calls received on Election Day came from people seeking information about their eligibility and voting precinct. We received calls from people claiming that they have been on the rolls for years. I’ve always voted here. Why isn’t my name on the rolls? Hosemann replied. Let me tell you the main reason. Clerks request a jury pool. Every time there are trials in Mississippi, they send thousands of these requests by mail. He said, “If you don’t respond to the mail the required number of times, they will take you off the voter rolls.” “The answer is: Don’t ignore the mail from circuit clerks. The Secretary of State was pleased to have had an uneventful vote. Hosemann stated that Mississippi turned a new page in its voting history with the Nov. 8 election. Mississippians should be proud of what they do. It took a lot of people to do it: circuit clerks and election commissioners as well as our staff. In the end, however, it was the Mississippi voters who won. It was the voters who turned this page.” To support this important work, make a regular donation to our Spring Member Drive today. Our reporters give a human face to policy’s impact on everyday Mississippians by listening more closely and understanding their communities. To ensure that our work is aligned with the priorities and needs of all Mississippians, we are listening to you. Click the button below to let us know what you think.