Trump was good for turnout, but South Mississippi write-ins are a mystery

When Donald Trump rolled through the Mississippi Republican primary, he brought a lot of new voters with him. And the race for Congress in South Mississippi brought an unusual number of write-ins.

Consider that Trump himself received 191,216 votes. A total of 143,286 people voted in the 2008 GOP primary. Turnout was up in 2012, with a another very competitive GOP primary, when 294,112 voted. It rose again in 2014 during a close, anger-fueled campaign for U.S. Senate. That year, 318,895 voted in the primary won by state Sen. Chris McDaniel over U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. McDaniel failed to get more than 50 percent, though, and 382,221 cast ballots in the runoff won by Cochran.

This year, more than 403,000 votes were cast for Republicans statewide and more than 220,500 voted for Democrats. That total, 623,500, far exceeds the 2008 race when President Barack Obama first ran and 577,396 people voted. Roles were reversed then, with 434,110 voting Democratic and 143,286 voting Republican.

Obama was credited with expanding the electorate by attracting a lot of young people and first-time voters. This year, Trump has tapped into voters who say they are fed up with Washington and want to elect an outsider.

"I think it was Trump," Jackson County Circuit Clerk Randy Carney said. Turnout shot up in his county from 19,872 in 2008 to 26,651 on Tuesday.

It was up sharply in the other counties: in Hancock County, turnout rose to 8,702 from 5,554. It went to 34,076 from 23,260 in Harrison County. Again, the GOP saw the biggest gains. And the Democrats who did vote went overwhelmingly for party-favorite Hillary Clinton.

Democrats were ready to give all the credit for the big turnout to Trump. In fact, the head of the Democratic Party suggested it was time for the Trump challengers to quit.

After all, the party had thrown a more than a little of its weight behind efforts to stop Trump. Gov. Phil Bryant even made a last-minute endorsement of Sen. Ted Cruz. A number of party luminaries had backed Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who with Sen. Marco Rubio, another favorite of the anybody-but-Trump faction, fizzled.

"Sooner or later the party will embrace Mr. Trump and the next thing you know he'll be the best thing since sliced bread," Democratic Chairman Rickey Cole said.

Then there was another unusual uptick in the results. Hundreds of voters decided to write in votes in the uncontested Republican primary for the 4th Congressional District seat held by Rep. Steven Palazzo. In Jackson County, more than 18,000 voted for Palazzo in a county where 20,300 voted for president. Five hundred thirteen wrote in the name of another person.

In Harrison County, the numbers were 24,791 for president, 19,111 for Palazzo and 945 write-ins. In Hancock County, it was 7,251 for president, 6,287 for Palazzo and 226 write-ins.

Against the Democratic challenger, Mark Gladney of Gulfport, in Harrison County, 9,285 voted for president, 7,506 for Gladney and 84 wrote in someone. In Jackson County, it was 6,351 for president, 4,703 for Gladney and 85 write-ins. In Hancock County, 9,285 voted for president, 7,506 for Gladney and 84 wrote in someone else.

Just who those write-ins are won't be revealed for at least 20 days. Candidates have 20 days to challenge the results, according to Harrison County Circuit Clerk Connie Ladner. On the 21st day after the election, if a records request is filed, the ballots can be viewed.

This story was originally published March 9, 2016 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Trump was good for turnout, but South Mississippi write-ins are a mystery ."