Election Day
As expected, Election Day was incredibly busy for our office! Our team was in close to 40 counties visiting precincts to make sure our laws were being followed. I started in Marshall County and worked my way down through the Delta. It was a great day meeting many Mississippians who spent their day working the polls and those who came out to cast a vote. We are thankful to all who were dedicated enough to civic duty to help ensure a safe and secure election.
As many of you are probably aware, Mississippi sustained a cyberattack on Election Day which caused the public facing side of our websites to be periodically inaccessible. Our cyber defense partners have not confirmed to origin of the DDoS activity, but we do know a pro-Russia group claimed responsibility. I couldn’t be prouder of Assistant SoS Eric Yoakum and his team, including the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, for their efforts throughout Election Day. They worked diligently to ensure that Mississippi's election was safe and secure, and through their hard work, we can confidently say our election system was not compromised.
82-County Tour
Nearing the end of our 82-County Tour, we plan to wrap up the final two counties by the end of 2022. We are looking forward to the upcoming visits with the remaining circuit clerks and election commissioners.
I have loved every minute of this tour and am thankful for the opportunity to build and strengthen relationships with our local election officials. These conversations have proved integral to improving the elections process in Mississippi.
To learn more about the 82-County Tour, click here.
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Conservation Task Force
We recently assembled our Conservation Task Force to continue building and preparing our statewide conservation plan. Our latest session centered on a forestry panel discussion. State and national leaders from various organizations including the MS Loggers Association, MS Forestry Association, the MS Development Authority, MS Forestry Commission, U.S. Forestry Service, and other notable members convened at the Capitol to discuss the forestry market, workforce needs, infrastructure, and sustainability, among other things.
I'm grateful for these partners who are committed to collaboration and teamwork to enhance conservation efforts around the state and improve the environment for our citizens, wildlife, and business.
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Promote the Vote
Educating Mississippians on the elections process and importance of voting may be one of our most important tasks. Much emphasis is placed on our Promote the Vote (PTV) program, which is a comprehensive K-12 voter education program consisting of various activities and competitions. We are so appreciate our teachers across the state who utilize PTV in their curriculum.
Over the past month, I have visited several classrooms participating in the PTV Program to discuss the importance of voting. I relish the opportunity to engage our youngest generation of Mississippians and encourage all of our educators to contact our External Affairs Division to schedule a PTV visit at your school.
To email our External Affairs Division, click here.
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MBAT
Launched in October, our Mississippi Businesses Against Trafficking (MBAT) initiative has received a fantastic response from our business community. Many of you have already visited the MBAT website to join our fight against human trafficking. Thank you!
For those who haven't, we hope you will visit the website soon to learn more about the program, different types of human trafficking, warning signs, ways to enhance vigilance in your workplace, and how to report possible instances to the proper authorities. We encourage you to join our fight to coMBAT human trafficking in Mississippi!
Click here to learn more about MBAT.
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