▁federal ▁positions , ▁even ▁though ▁Democr ats ▁nomin ally ▁continued ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁registered ▁vot ers . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁Mississippi ▁has ▁supported ▁a ▁Dem ocrat ▁for ▁president ▁only ▁once , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁when ▁Jimmy ▁Carter , ▁a ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁ran . ▁That ▁year , ▁he ▁narrow ly ▁carried ▁the ▁state ▁by ▁two ▁percentage ▁points ▁( 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁votes ). ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁civil ▁rights ▁activ ists ▁registered ▁ 8 0 , 0 0 0 ▁black ▁vot ers ▁in ▁Mississippi ▁for ▁the ▁st raw ▁Fre edom ▁V ote , ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁the ▁people ' s ▁amb ition ▁and ▁e ag ern ess ▁to ▁vote . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 4 , ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁Fre edom ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁( M F DP ) ▁was ▁formed , ▁creating ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁candidates ▁to ▁challenge ▁the ▁official , ▁all - white ▁sl ate ▁of ▁the ▁state ' s ▁Democratic ▁Party . ▁The ▁M F DP ▁also ▁mounted ▁protest s ▁at ▁the ▁national ▁Democratic ▁convention , ▁seeking ▁to ▁be ▁se ated ▁as ▁official ▁deleg ates . ▁ ▁Not ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁following ▁passage ▁of ▁the ▁Federal ▁V oting ▁Rights ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁under ▁President ▁Ly nd on ▁Johnson , ▁would ▁most ▁African - American ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁have ▁the ▁chance ▁to ▁register ▁and ▁vote ▁again ▁in ▁Mississippi ▁and ▁other ▁Southern