Funding Amendment Nears Deadline for 2015 Ballot

 JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Supporters of a constitutional amendment to guarantee “an adequate and efficient system of free public schools” in Mississippi have less than two weeks to turn in signatures if they want their referendum on the 2015 general election ballot.

State law says they must turn in at least 107,216 signatures of registered voters by Oct. 8 to put the referendum on the ballot for the 2015 general election. Supporters must collect at least 21,443 from each of the state’s five former congressional districts as they existed in 2000.

Backers with the Better Schools Better Jobs group said Wednesday they’ve collected 183,000 signatures so far. Spokeswoman Patsy Brumfield says that, on average, nearly 69 percent of signatures turned in are being approved, which should be enough if the geographic split is even.