Mississippians head to the polls today to elect federal leaders and determine the fate of three ballot measures. The Secretary of State breakdown what voters need to know on this Election Day.

Then, this year's rematch for the Senate is expected be tighter than the 2018 special election. We talk to a Mississippi based pollster on how this race is different.

Plus, in a string of campaign rallies, the President has suggested he might challenge the results of the election. We examine the history and process of contested elections. 

Segment 1:

Mississippians are heading to the polls today to cast their ballots, and the turn out could be one of the biggest the state has seen. Around 113 thousand new voters have recently registered, increasing the active roll in the state to 1.9 million. There are reports of long lines outside polling precincts as voting began this morning at 7:00. According to the Secretary of State's website, nearly 50 polling locations have been moved, but not all precincts are reporting location changes. We share info from Secretary Michael Watson.

Segment 2:

One election the ballot today might look familiar to some voters. That's because it presents a rematch of a 2018 Special Election between then-appointed Senator Cindy-Hyde Smith and former Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy. Hyde Smith won that initial meeting by seven points and is now running as an incumbent for a full six-year term. Once again, Espy is her primary challenger. But this time, some polling indicates the race could be tighter.

Brad Chism is the President of Chism Strategies. He shares with our Ashley Norwood how the 2020 version of this match-up differs from the special election, and discusses the factors that could play a role in its outcome.

Segment 3:

When Justice Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation was rushed through mere weeks ahead of the election, dissenters claimed her appointment was a calculated move to tilt the court favorably for President Donald Trump in the event the Supreme Court had to rule on any election disputes. Recently, the President has intimated he would have lawyers ready to challenge results in key swing states.  

The talk of contested elections conjures memories of the 2000 election - one in which a Supreme Court decision regarding the certification of Florida's votes ultimately handed the Presidency to George W. Bush. In part two of our conversation with Mississippi College School of Law Professor Matt Steffey, we revisit that election and examine the process for contested elections.

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