Contact: Jennifer Mason, Personhood USA, 202-595-3500

JACKSON, Miss., Nov. 4, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Personhood USA was pleased to learn on Thursday night that Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour has voted "Yes" on Amendment 26 via absentee ballot. The amendment to the Mississippi Constitution will recognize every human being, from conception, as a legal person. The Governor made the announcement while taking questions at a rally for Republican gubernatorial candidate, and Yes on 26 campaign Co-chair, Lt. Governor Phil Bryant.

"Personhood USA congratulates Governor Barbour for making the correct decision in voting to protect the lives of the innocent," said Keith Mason, President of Personhood USA. "The babies that will be saved by Amendment 26 will live, grow up, and return to thank the Governor along with the overwhelming number of politicians, medical professionals, and citizens who have advocated for their right to live."

Barbour had told interviewers earlier in the week that he was in the process of making his decision. "I think all in all, I know I believe life begins at conception. So I think the right thing to do was to vote for it," he said.

On Wednesday, Planned Parenthood and the pro-abortion opponents of the measure launched a robo-calling and television commercial campaign using clips from an interview with Barbour, urging the state's residents to vote "no."

"The people of Mississippi will not be fooled," continued Mason. "These tactics will backfire on Planned Parenthood. The people of Mississippi are well-informed. They will hear that the Governor voted 'Yes' on the amendment, and see that Planned Parenthood is running ads implying that he did not. They understand which group deals in facts, and which is propagating lies."