On June 9, 1997, Plaintiff Mississippi Citizens for Legislative Term Limits, Inc., entered into a contract with Progressive Campaigns, Inc. (“Progressive Campaigns”) to secure signatures for the Term limits Initiative. Progressive Campaigns managed all aspects of the petition drive for the Term Limits Initiative. From July 15, 1997, through September 25, 1997, Progressive Campaigns gathered 95,000 petition signatures using only registered Mississippi voters as circulators, in compliance with
Miss.Code Ann. § 23–17–17(2). Following the decision of the Court in
Term Limits Leadership Council, entered on September 25, 1997, Progressive Campaigns began to use nonresident petition circulators, as well. Progressive Campaigns gathered a total of 63,000 signatures after September 25, 1997.