Of about 45 Mississippi residents asked to review the ballot by The Hechinger Report, four were able to complete the sample ballot in a way that accurately reflected their intent. From the Huddle House in Winona to an outlet mall in Pearl; from the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson to a feed store on the outskirts of Greenwood; from outside a gas station in Edwards to a community college campus in Holmes County, Mississippians of varied education levels, ages and backgrounds were puzzled by the ballot’s legal language. They were equally confused by the two different sections that must be marked for the ballot to be counted.

Brian Anderson, a political science professor and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus, said he isn’t surprised to hear about the statewide confusion.

“It certainly could have been easier,” Anderson said. “I think people could be so confused, that later they find out that what they wanted to happen when they voted isn’t what they actually voted for. There are probably going to be people who thought they were voting to support 42 who ended up nullifying their vote. ... We could have some very angry voters on our hands.”

The confusion is created in part because of the ballot initiative’s two parts, which became necessary after the Mississippi Legislature, at the urging of Republican leadership, voted last spring to add Initiative 42A to the ballot. The alternative initiative would basically nullify 42 and would keep Mississippi’s school funding system as it is. In another twist, the Mississippi Republican Party is now asking voters to vote against both measures, leaving the party in the unusual position of being against an initiative it put on the ballot in the first place.