This year will have the county elections for the State of Mississippi. Offices that will be on the ballot include sheriff, supervisors, Justice Court Judge, tax assessor, circuit clerk, chancery clerk, and coroner.
Some long time employees have already announced their intent to retire, including Sheriff Todd Kemp, Chancery Clerk Angie Gibbs, and Justice Court Judge Tobey Bartee.
The qualifying period will be from January 3 to February 1 at 5:00 p.m. For anyone interested in running for one of the positions, there are some requirements that must be met in order to qualify. Based on the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office, all political party candidates must submit a Statement of Intent and $100 qualifying fee to the appropriate party executive via the Circuit Clerk. Independent candidates will have to file a Statement of Intent, petition containing signatures of no less than 50 qualified voters of the county, and a $100 qualifying fee to the county via the Circuit Clerk.
The following are requirements that must be met for each position on the ballot:
Chancery Clerk, Circuit Clerk, Tax Assessor: The candidate must be a qualified voter in the county where he/she seeks election. They must be a resident of the county they seek election in for two (2) years on the day before the election.
Sheriff: The candidate must not be a defaulter to the state or any county or municipality or to the United States and be a qualified voter. They must be a resident of the county they seek election in for two (2) years on the day before the election.
Coroner: The candidate must be a qualified voter, at least 21 years old, possessing a high school diploma or its equivalent, of the county in which he/she seeks election. They must be a resident of the county they seek election in for two (2) years on the day before the election.
Supervisor: The candidate must be a qualified voter of the county and a resident for two (2) years, as of the day before the election, in the district in which he/she seeks election.
Justice Court Judge: The candidate must be a qualified voter, a resident of the county two (2) years preceding the day of election, a high school graduate or its equivalent, and complete a course of training required by law within six months of the beginning of the term of office.
Constable: The candidate must be a qualified voter in the county and district in which he/she seeks election. They must be a resident of the county district in which he/she seeks election for two (2) years preceding the day of election.
For more information on qualifying, contact the Circuit Clerk’s office at 601-776-1000.
