Staff Reports
Republican Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves took a strong stance on ensuring election integrity by signing Senate Bill 2358 into law. This bill prohibits ballot harvesting, a practice that bad actors have used to take advantage of elderly and vulnerable voters in other states. With the bill only allowing certain individuals to “knowingly collect and transmit” ballots, families delivering on behalf of their relatives and election officials on duty are among the individuals allowed to do so. The bill also allows the USPS, a caregiver, or a paid “common carrier” to transport the ballots, but the “parcel” may only contain one ballot.
Red State Gov Signs Bill Banning Ballot Harvesting Ahead Of Reelection Bid https://t.co/ly2d7N0xHW
— US Burning (@UsBurning) March 22, 2023
This move by Reeves allows Mississippi to build on the already established House Bill 1510, which banned illegal immigrants and non-citizens from voting in the state. The governor emphasized the importance of ensuring the “absolute integrity” of the state’s election process and vowed to make it easy for people to vote but hard to cheat.
Across the US, bad actors have used ballot harvesting to take advantage of elderly & vulnerable voters – all so they can circumvent our democratic process & cut you out of it.
Today, we banned ballot harvesting in Mississippi.
Watch the full video: https://t.co/NqhlvJN0rR pic.twitter.com/CozZdq5uWM
— Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) March 22, 2023
Interestingly, according to a Republican National Committee (RNC) poll, 87% of American voters are opposed to ballot harvesting. Reeves reiterated that he stands with these voters and will continue to uphold the integrity of Mississippi’s election process.
The governor’s decision to ban ballot harvesting in his state is in stark contrast to many other states that permit third parties to collect and deliver ballots. This move comes as the RNC has been ramping up efforts to bolster election integrity, with the issue remaining important to Republicans following the 2020 election.
Reeves, who is set to run for reelection in November, currently leads by 7 percentage points in a state poll against his Democratic opponent, Brandon Presley. By banning ballot harvesting in Mississippi, Governor Reeves has taken the necessary steps to ensure that his constituents’ votes are protected and that the democratic process is upheld.
