JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippians are choosing a new governor and deciding whether to add three amendments to the state constitution, including one that could provoke a national fight about abortion.
Tuesday’s governor’s race pits Republican Phil Bryant against Democrat Johnny DuPree. They are competing to succeed two-term Republican Gov. Haley Barbour.
The three ballot initiatives are proposed amendments to the state constitution.
Among them: Initiative 26 would declare life begins at fertilization. If it’s approved, supporters say it could prompt a court challenge seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that established a legal right to abortion.
Another ballot initiative would require voters to show government-issued identification at the polls.
