JACKSON (Friday, Oct. 31, 2008) -– The Mississippi Democratic Party announced plans today for a comprehensive, statewide effort to protect every lawful Mississippi vote cast on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 4.

The effort, called the “Voter Defense Project,” will include legal and communications experts on-hand to ensure that Mississippi voters understand their Election Day rights and that no lawful voter is turned away from the polls.

“The Mississippi Democratic Party is working proactively to share with voters their Election Day rights,” said Jamie Franks, chairman of the Mississippi Democratic Party. “The Mississippi Democratic Party also is on standby to respond should any of those rights be denied.”

The Voter Defense Project will include the following elements:

Attorneys, known as “vote defenders,” will be prepositioned throughout Mississippi and prepared to deploy to areas that report polling problems

Election Monitors at each polling location will ensure lawful voters are not turned away and will report “aggressive challenge patterns”

Legal experts will be on standby to interpret federal, state and local election laws and guidelines

Rapid-response communicators will be on-hand to rebut misleading and inconsistent statements from state or regional officials

News reports indicate tens of thousands of new voters have registered this year alone – clearly an enthusiastic response to the change offered by Democratic Party candidates for president, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House.

With so many new voters expected to go to the polls and cast ballots on Tuesday, Mississippi Democrats are working proactively to ensure that no eligible voter is denied their right.

“Lawful voters must be allowed to vote on Election Day without a needlessly confusing and frustrating experience,” Franks said. “And we’re going to do everything necessary to defend those lawful votes.”

NOTE: Besides the Mississippi Democratic Party’s Voter Defense Project, Mississippi residents also can turn to the non-partisan group Protect the Vote 2008 for help on Election Day. Voters who encounter trouble can call (888) 601-VOTE – a toll-free hotline coordinated by Protect the Vote. The Mississippi Democratic Party’s Voter Defense Project is not affiliated with Protect the Vote.

###