Jackson Free Press

Charlie Ross Interview

State Sen. Charlie Ross, R-Brandon, a GOP candidate for lieutenant governor, held a press conference on the steps of the capitol this morning, requesting Gov. Haley Barbour to call a special session on a law requiring voter photo identification at the polls.

"We need to secure the right of every Mississippian to an honest vote. … We must take action now to secure that every Mississippian has an equal right to an honest vote, and an equal right to have their vote counted, and an equal right to know that there are elections that are legitimate." Ross said in a released statement.

He wants the voter ID bill signed and ready before this year's elections.

Barbour said he would call a special session on the issue if he had enough support form both houses in the legislature. "If I thought a voter identification law would pass both houses of the Legislature in a special session, I would call one," Barbour said in a statement.

Rep. Jamie Franks, D-Mooreville, who will be Ross' Democratic opponent should Ross survive the Aug. 7 primary against Republican Phil Bryant, said Mississippi should be working on encouraging voters rather than discouraging them with new voting requirements.

"We need to be finding ways to increase voter turn-out, rather than trying to discourage voting," Franks said. "For years, in Mississippi, we saw that certain people were not allowed to vote, and we saw that my people (poor people) couldn't vote because they couldn't afford the poll tax. ... (W)e need to be doing all we can to get people to the polls."