Municipal Election

2021 MUNICIPAL ELECTION INFORMATION GUIDE

ELECTION DATES

Qualifying Begins - January 4, 2021

Qualifying Deadline - February 5, 2021

Primary Election - April 6, 2021

Primary Runoff Election (If Necessary) - April 27, 2021

General Election - June 8, 2021

QUALIFYING FOR OFFICE

An individual seeking to run for office must choose to qualify as either a political party or independent candidate. A political party candidate participates in the April Primary Election (and possibly the Primary Runoff Election) seeking to win a political party's nomination for a particular position. The winning candidates in the Primary Elections will participate in the June General Election as the political party's nominee(s) for specific offices. An independent candidate participates only in the June General Election and, for the purposes of the ballot, has no designated political party affiliation.

All candidates must meet the following requirements to qualify for office:

• Qualified elector (registered voter) of the State of Mississippi and in the municipality/ward of the office for which the candidate seeks election. Miss. Const . of 1890, Article XII,§ 250.
• Resident of the municipality, county or county district office that he or she seeks to represent for two (2) years immediately preceding the day of the election. Miss. Code Ann . § 23-15-300.
• Never have been convicted of bribery, perjury or other infamous crime, being defined as a crime punishable by a minimum of one (1) year confinement in the state penitentiary, unless pardoned for the offense. Miss. Const. of 1890, Article IV, § 44.
• Never have been convicted of a felony in a court of this state or, of a felony in a federal court, or of a crime in the court of another state which is a felony under the laws of this state, on or after December 8, 1992; excluding, however, a  conviction of manslaughter  or  a violation of the United States Internal Revenue Code or any violation of the tax laws of this state, unless the offense also involved the misuse or abuse of an office or money coming into a candidate's hands by virtue of an office. Miss. Const. of 1890, Article IV, § 44.

PRIMARY/POLITICAL PARTY CANDIDATES

An individual who chooses to participate in a primary election to seek the nomination of a particular political party must submit to the Municipal Clerk's Office a "Qualifying Statement of Intent for a Candidate for Party Nomination,"  together  with a qualifying fee of ten  dollars ($10.00), no later than 5:00 p.m. sixty (60) days prior to the date of the first primary election, February 5, 2021.

The Municipal Clerk will forward the Statement of Intent and the filing fee to  the Secretary  of  the  proper political party's Municipal Executive Committee. Qualifying forms are available from the Municipal Clerk's Office, and on-line from the Secretary of State's website located at:

http://www.sos.ms.gov/electionsvoting/pages/candidate-qualifying-forms.aspx

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES

An individual who chooses to participate in the general election only, without any political party affiliation, must submit to the Municipal Clerk's Office a "Qualifying Statement of Intent for an Independent Candidate," together with a Qualifying Petition, no later than 5:00 p.m. sixty (60) days prior to the date of the first primary election, i.e., February 5, 2021.

Independent candidates do not pay a qualifying fee.

A qualifying petition must be signed by at least fifty (50) qualified (registered) voters of the municipality or ward from which the candidate seeks office. The Municipal Clerk's Office must certify the signatures on the qualifying petition are those of registered voters of the municipality and/or war d. Qualifying forms, including Petitions, are available from your Municipal Clerk's Office and on-line from the Secretary of State's website located at:

http://www.sos.ms.gov/electionsvoting/pages/candidate-qualifying-forms.aspx

STATEMENT OF ECONOMIC INTEREST

All candidates seeking office in the 2021 Primary and/or General Elections are required to file a Statement of Economic Interest with the Mississippi Ethics Commission within fifteen (15) days of qualifying. Incumbents must file on or before May 1, 2021. Additional information and forms may be obtained from the Mississippi Ethics Commission website located at:

http://www.ethics.ms.gov

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Mississippi law requires all candidates for elective office to file campaign finance disclosure reports. Under the law, one is a candidate if he/she has filed qualifying papers or has spent or received over

$200 in the aggregate in furtherance of an election campaign. Following the qualifying deadline, all persons who have filed qualifying papers are candidates under the law, even if they have not received or spent any money whatsoever in furtherance of a campaign. Forms necessary for compliance with these laws are available from the Secretary of State's Office or the Circuit Clerk's Office. Campaign Finance reporting forms also may be downloaded from the Secretary of State's website located at:

http://www.sos.ms.gov/electionsvoting/pages/campaign-finance-lobbying.aspx

2021 MUNICIPAL ELECTION INFORMATION GUIDE

WHAT, WHEN, AND WHERE TO FILE - SUMMARY

If Qualifying as a Candidate for Party Nomination:

1)  Qualifying Statement of Intent for a Candidate for Party Nominat ion , and

2)  Qualifying fee in the amount of ten dollars ($10.00) made payable to the appropriate Municipal Party Executive Committee,

3)  Filed with the Municipal Clerk's Office,

4)  No later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 5, 2021. NOTE: The qualifying date is an actual receipt deadline and cannot be extended under any circumst ance .

5)  Statement of Economic Interest, within fifteen {15) days of qualifying , with the Mississippi Ethics Commission, 660 North Street, Suite #100-C, Jackson, MS 39202; {601) 359-1285.

6)  Required Campaign Finance Disclosure Reports filed with the Municipal Clerk's Office by 5:00 p.m. on the applicable deadline(s).

If Qualifying as an Independent Candidate:

1)  Qualifying Statement of Intent for an Independent Candidate, and

2)  Qualifying Petition, signed by not less than the following number of qualified electors (registered voters), certified by the Municipal Clerk of the municipality from where the signatures were collected by the can didat e:

3)  Filed with the Municipal Clerk's office,

4)  No later than 5:00 p.m. on Fri day, February 5, 2021. NOTE: The qualifying date is an actual receipt deadline and cannot be extended under any circumst ance . Candidate Qualifying Guide 11 Rev. 11/2020

5)  Statement of Economic Interest, within fifteen (15) days of qualifying, with the Mississippi Ethics Commission, 660 North Street, Suite #100-C, Jackson, MS 39202; (601) 359-1285.

6)  Required Campaign Finance Disclosure Reports filed with the Municipal Clerk's Office by 5:00 p.m. on the applicable deadline(s) .