US judge hears arguments about Mississippi election system
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A federal judge is giving no indication of how or when he will rule in a lawsuit that challenges Mississippi’s unique, multistep process of electing a governor and other statewide officials.
U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III heard arguments Friday, just over three weeks before the state’s Nov. 5 general election.
Mississippi’s 1890 constitution requires a statewide candidate to win a majority of the popular vote and a majority of the 122 state House districts. If nobody wins both, the election is decided by the House, now controlled by Republicans.
Attorneys for African American plaintiffs say the system violates the constitutional principle of one person-one vote. They are asking Jordan to block the state from using the system.
Attorneys for the state defendants want Jordan to dismiss the lawsuit.
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