Mississippi legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Mississippi HB1446: Robert G. Clark, Jr., Voting Rights Act of Mississippi; create.
Status: Failed, February 3, 2026
AN ACT TO BE KNOWN AS THE "ROBERT G. CLARK, JR., VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF MISSISSIPPI"; TO DECLARE CERTAIN FINDINGS; TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS; TO PROHIBIT POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS AND STATE AGENCIES FROM ENGAGING IN VOTER SUPPRESSION; TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI VOTING RIGHTS COMMISSION AND PROVIDE FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP; TO REQUIRE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN POLICIES BY POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS TO BE PRECLEARED BY THE COMMISSION; TO ESTABLISH PROTECTIONS FOR LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT INDIVIDUALS AND VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES; TO REQUIRE THE COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH, IN AGREEMENT WITH CERTAIN STATE UNIVERSITIES, THE MISSISSIPPI VOTING AND ELECTIONS DATABASE AND INSTITUTE; TO PROHIBIT ACTS OF INTIMIDATION, DECEPTION AND OBSTRUCTION THAT AFFECT VOTERS' RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN ELECTIONS; TO REQUIRE POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS TO PROVIDE ADVANCE NOTICE OF CHANGES TO ELECTION POLICIES; TO REQUIRE LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE STATE AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS TO BE LIBERALLY CONSTRUED; TO AUTHORIZE AGGRIEVED INDIVIDUALS AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO BRING ACTIONS FOR VIOLATIONS UNDER THE ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
What the bill says
An act to be known as the "robert g. clark, jr., voting rights act of mississippi"; to declare certain findings; to define certain terms; to prohibit political subdivisions and state agencies from engaging in voter suppression; to create the mississippi voting rights commission and provide for its membership; to require the implementation of certain policies by political subdivisions to be precleared by the commission; to establish protections for limited english proficient individuals and voters with disabilities…
From the introduced text:
AN ACT TO BE KNOWN AS THE "ROBERT G. CLARK, JR., VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF MISSISSIPPI"; TO DECLARE CERTAIN FINDINGS; TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS; TO PROHIBIT POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS AND STATE AGENCIES FROM ENGAGING IN VOTER SUPPRESSION; TO CREATE THE MISSISSIPPI VOTING RIGHTS COMMISSION AND PROVIDE FOR ITS MEMBERSHIP; TO REQUIRE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN POLICIES BY POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS TO BE PRECLEARED BY THE COMMISSION; TO ESTABLISH PROTECTIONS FOR LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT INDIVIDUALS AND VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES; TO REQUIRE THE COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH, IN AGREEMENT WITH CERTAIN STATE UNIVERSITIES, THE MISSISSIPPI VOTING AND ELECTIONS DATABASE AND INSTITUTE; TO PROHIBIT ACTS OF INTIMIDATION, DECEPTION AND OBSTRUCTION THAT AFFECT VOTERS' RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN ELECTIONS; TO REQUIRE POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS TO PROVIDE ADVANCE NOTICE OF CHANGES TO ELECTION POLICIES; TO REQUIRE LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE STATE AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS TO BE LIBERALLY CONSTRUED; TO AUTHORIZE AGGRIEVED INDIVIDUALS AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO BRING ACTIONS FOR VIOLATIONS UNDER THE ACT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Robert G. Clark, Jr., Voting Rights Act of Mississippi". SECTION 2. The Legislature finds that in order to advance the protections for the right to vote under the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 and the United States …