Circle 1: How do we get more information to voters?

  1. Media publishing a detailed list?
  2. How do you get it out? Word of mouth
  3. How will it reach the people? Community organizations
  4. Do pushcards work? Yes
  5. Political action committees do help set the 
  6. Is there a model system to help get news to the community? Community engagement. Civic engagement.
  7. Need more community activities
  8. People get burned out w/o participation from voters.
  9. Different cultures do not speak about religion and politics. Need to have hard conversations.
  10. Be engaged in a political party.
  11. Extended voting hours/early voting.
  12. Open primaries
  13. Ranked choice voting
  14. Should be able to go into any precinct and vote.
  15. Voter rolls being purged.
  16. Elections:
    1. City Council
    2. Judges/City Court/County Court/Circuit Court/Justice Court/School Board
    3. Mayor
    4. County Supervisor
  17. Which seat is the most powerful? Justice Court have to be 18 with High School diploma.
  18. Everyone should run at least once for office.
  19. Many people do not know who their current incumbent is
  20. Lack of local media coverage about upcoming elections
  21. Lack of education about local issues
  22. Local media behind paywalls (Sun Herald)
  23. Lack of information. Corporate consolidation of media
  24. Lack of access to media (People with fixed incomes can’t afford paywalls)
  25. Going to Facebook & TikTok to get
  26. Centrists feel they have no voice the conservative state
  27. Is there a place for moderates in MS? Yes
  28. Stranglehold on elections
  29. Local news rooms being hollowed out.
  30. Not reporting local news/no local journalist
  31. Has to be a solution for local community journalism
  32. Voter suppression is a problem.
    1. No early voting
    2. Strict ID laws
    3. Low voter turnout
    4. How to combat that?
  33. 307
  34. Voter turnout during statewide elections
  35. Polling places are inconsistent
  36. Need to advertise elections/database not available
  37. Media needs to report on qualifying deadlines
  38. Gerrymandering is a problem
  39. Legislature in session so much
  40. No election should go unchallenged

The mission of the Mississippi Free Press, a new nonprofit journalism website and multimedia network that launched in March 2020, is to publish deep public-interest reporting into causes of and solutions to the social, political and structural challenges facing all Mississippians and their communities. Mississippians need to know each other across regions and share our challenges and solutions despite geographic and other differences. We are introducing Mississippians to each other through our deep accountability reporting and compelling people-focused storytelling, and by convening online and physical “solutions circles,” using our statewide networks to ensure inclusivity and representation.