Mississippi Mayor’s Election Shows Voting Law’s Imperfect Legacy
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Percy L. Bland III said he knew he would become the first black mayor of Meridian, Mississippi, when he saw the crowd at Velma Young Community Center at 5 p.m. on election day. These were his voters.
In 2009, Bland had lost to white Republican Cheri Barry in a city that is 62 percent black. While he needed white support for the rematch last month, his 990-vote margin came from predominantly black wards where his campaign registered voters, called them and even offered rides to the polls.