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Public policy debates often happen in committee rooms and on legislative floors. But the real impact of those policies is felt in the everyday lives of people across Mississippi.
As a former Mississippi legislator, I spent years working in communities throughout our state. I sat with seniors, veterans, working families and people in rural towns who simply wanted to participate in the democratic process. What I learned is that for many Mississippians, something as simple as obtaining the documents requested in Senate Bill 2588, known as the Mississippi SHIELD Act, can be far more complicated than policymakers realize.
In Mississippi, obtaining a birth certificate can cost $25 or more and a passport $165. For people living on fixed incomes, cost matters. For those living in rural communities, access can be an even bigger challenge. Some residents must drive hours, sometimes as much as eight hours round trip, to reach the office where they can obtain official records.
Sonya Williams Barnes, state policy director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, speaks during a press conference at the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi TodayFor many women, documentation issues arise for another common reason: marriage. A woman’s birth certificate may reflect the name she was born with, while her driver’s license and other legal documents reflect the name she took after marriage. That difference can create confusion and additional hurdles when verifying identity.
And for some Mississippians, the challenge runs even deeper because of our state’s history. Many Black Mississippians born during the Jim Crow era were delivered at home by midwives and were never issued official birth certificates. This is not rare. It is a documented reality in communities across our state.
These are people who have worked their entire lives, paid taxes, raised families and voted in elections for decades.
I also think about my friend Raquel, a veteran who served our country and is now blind. Despite losing her sight, she has never lost belief in the power of her vote.
Sometimes people suggest that passports can solve these documentation challenges. But the truth is that only 22% of Mississippians have a valid passport.
And according to Mississippi’s own secretary of state, we do not have a widespread voter fraud problem. In fact, he has repeatedly said Mississippi has some of the safest elections in the United States.
Most Mississippians agree on two things: Our elections should be secure and every eligible voter should be able to participate. Those goals are not in conflict. If we keep people at the center of these conversations, we can find solutions that protect election integrity while also honoring the dignity and voices of Mississippi voters.
Protecting our elections should always go hand in hand with protecting the people who make them possible.
Sonya Williams Barnes is the Mississippi state policy director at the Southern Poverty Law Center. She previously served as the state representative for the 119th District for 10 years, representing portions of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
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