It took me some time to track this one down. The applicable statute is Mississippi Code 97-13-35 - Voting; by unqualified person, or at more than one place, or for both parties in same primary.
Any person who shall vote at any election, not being legally qualified, or who shall vote in more than one county, or at more than one place in any county or in any city, town, or village entitled to separate representation, or who shall vote out of the district of his legal domicile, or who shall vote or attempt to vote in the primary election of one party when he shall have voted on the same date in the primary election of another party, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, on conviction, shall be fined not exceeding two hundred dollars, or be imprisoned in the county jail not more than six months, or both.For the careful parser out there who notices the "same date" qualifier, that's covered too. The runoff is deemed to be part of the original primary, and for legal purposes, the primary and runoff are one election, held on the same day.
MS AG Op., Brown (April 7, 1988) 1988 WL 250048
There is, however, a statutory prohibition to "crossover" voting. Crossover voting may be defined as participation in the first primary of one political party and participation in the runoff primary of another party. Several Attorney General's opinions and case law has defined the first and second primary as one election process. The runoff primary has been described as a continuation of the first primary. Therefore, Miss. Code Ann. AS: 97-13-35 (1972), which prohibits participation in more than one primary on the same day, has been interpreted to prohibit crossover voting.
In most states it would be a felony. Oh well, give them 6 months in jail then.
I think Thad and the good ol’ boys he associates with should pay the fine for ignorant people whom his campaign induced to vote illegally.
Thanks for posting that. I needed it today!