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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

The get out to vote Voter Empowerment Project sponsored by the Mississippi NAACP is asking that a committed person in each family take the initiative to encourage each family member to register to vote.
Everyone must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and registered by July 5, 2003 for the August 5, 2003 primary elections. The right to vote was not afforded our fore parents. Let’s not forget their struggle and sacrifices made so that we may enjoy this privilege to vote. Please assist us in this endeavor and make our ancestors proud. Let’s get out and vote on August 5. 2003.
For further information please contact the NAACP State Office at (601) 353-6906; 353-8452 or 1-800-806-2227.

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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.