Mississippi lawmakers push state Voting Rights Act amid federal uncertainty

As the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a case that could weaken federal voting protections, Mississippi lawmakers are moving to safeguard the ballot at the state level with the proposed Robert G. Clark Jr. Mississippi Voting Rights Act.

Filed at the State Capitol, among the proposed legislation’s sponsors are Senator Johnny DuPree and House Representative Zakiya Summers.

The bill is named in honor of the late Robert G. Clark Jr., a civil rights trailblazer. He was Mississippi’s first Black legislator of the modern era. Rep. Clark was elected shortly after the passage of the federal Voting Rights Act. During the first eight years of his 37-year tenure, he served as the only Black legislator in Mississippi.

Senator DuPree explained the bill will prevent and protect against voter suppression, voter intimidation, voter deception, and vote dilution. He stated: “On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, remembrance is not enough, we must recommit to action. … In Mississippi, we know voting rights were never freely given. They were fought for through faith, courage, and sacrifice. And this administration has made it abundantly clear: our vote must be protected and defended in every generation.”

Representative Summers said: “The Robert G. Clark Mississippi Voting Rights Act is about protecting every eligible voter – no matter their race, party, or ZIP code – from discrimination, intimidation, or manipulation. Democracy only works when everyone can participate freely, fairly, and fully.”

Rep. Bryant Clark, the late lawmaker’s son, said his father would be deeply troubled by the ongoing fight to preserve voting access. “My father would be horrified to know that in 2026, the protection he and so many other people – Fannie  Lou Hamer, Aaron Henry, Medgar Evers – fought  for is being threatened. … He fought for all citizens of the state of Mississippi. He believed in the promise of democracy and the right of every citizen to have a right at the ballot box.”

The proposed legislation also would establish an independent commission to review election law changes. 

For more information on the proposed legislation, please visit: https://www.johnnydupree.com/contact or email zsummers@house.ms.gov.