Party leaders say abortion debate will drive turnout in Mississippi

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Both Democratic and Republican leadership said the debate surrounding abortion will drive voters to the polls in the midterm election cycle.

The RNC said the conservative Supreme Court possibly reversing a decades-old decision of a woman’s right to choose is energizing their base.

“This is why we have to vote for Republicans because Republicans are the ones who are going to put these people in place on the Supreme Court,” RNC spokesman Paris Dennard.

The RNC said the conservative Supreme Court possibly reversing a decades-old decision of a woman’s right to choose – is energizing voters.

“This is why we have to vote for Republicans because Republicans are the ones who are going to put these people in place on the Supreme Court.”

“The most basic freedom there is, is for a woman to make choices about herself, her health and her family. That ought to be a driver and I think it will be a driver sending women to the polls,” Mississippi Democratic Party Chair Tyree Irving said.

Mississippi State Political Science Professor Brian Shoup said the issue of abortion will likely have the largest impact on midterm turnout in the state’s most populated areas.

“That’s down on the gulf coast and Harrison County. Maybe, perhaps up in DeSoto County or perhaps the capital in Jackson,” Shoup said.

Mississippi saw the fifth lowest turnout in the nation last midterm election.

Professor Brian Shoup says it will be difficult for the state to shake it’s low turnout status because Mississippi Congressional races are usually not competitive.

“I think people are more likely to sometimes show up when they fell that their vote may be one of the decisive votes that helps to determine it,” Shoup said.

Shoup believes the impact of abortion laws will be a greater driver of local and state elections than federal ones.

“We’ve started to see with these Supreme Court cases that are really starting to push issues back toward the state, that these are kind of a locus of political power that we need to focus on,” Shoup said.

Polls for the primary election will be open 7 a.m. To 7 p.m. On Tuesday.

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