Abortion

Voters Deadlocked Over Initiative 26

The polling has the Mississippi amendment to define fertilized eggs as people in a virtual tie.

Image Source

See all our coverage of Mississippi Initiative (Prop) 26 here.

When it comes to passing the first state constitutional amendment granting full legal rights to fertilized eggs, it will likely all come down to the undecided voters.

According to Public Policy Polling, Initiative 26, the so-called “Personhood” amendment in Mississippi, is currently tied, with 45 percent of voters supporting the measure and 44 percent of voters opposed to it. 

That leaves over 10 percent of Mississippi residents unsure of how they will vote, and they could swing the election in either direction.

In the end, it could just come down to who shows up at the polls. 

Men are more likely to support Amendment 26 than women, with 48 percent of male voters saying they support the measure, compared to 42 percent of women who said the same.

White people are far more likely to vote “yes” for the personhood amendment than black voters – 54 percent of whites said they support the initiative, while only 26 percent of African-Americans said the same. Almost six out of 10 blacks, 59 percent, oppose the amendment, while just 37 percent of whites are against it.

Support for the controversial measure also falls along partisan lines – 65 percent of Republicans support the measure, while only 23 percent of Democrats do. The majority of Democrats, 61 percent, said they will vote “no” against the amendment, while just 28 percent of Republicans said they are against it.

It’s never to late to keep trying to sway undecideds, or to rally the amendment’s opposition to get out and vote.