JACKSON, Mississippi – October 29, 2008 - Mississippi's
voter situation is hard to believe. Places like Madison County have over 123%
more registered voters than people over the age of 18.
Sue Sautermeister, First District Election Commissioner in Madison County, tried to purge the rolls, but ran into trouble when it was discovered it takes a vote of three of the five election commissioners and the purge cannot take place within 90 days of a federal election.
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann is the first to admit the situation with voter registration in this state is terrible.
"It is terrible," he says. "Combined with the fact that we don't have voter ID in Mississippi, anybody can show up at any poll that happens to know the people who have left town or died - and go vote for them."
Sue Sautermeister is working hard in the First District of Madison County to start a purging of the voter rolls as soon after the election as possible. She has file drawers full of names of people who haven't voted in years and are known to be dead.
"We have people who registered in 1965 who have never voted," she says. "We have 486 people (registered who are) over 105."
Hosemann says 190,000 new voters have registered for this election and he believes the turnout will be historic.