Qualifying for three school board spots and the county prosecuting attorney begins next week.
Marion County Circuit Clerk Janette Nolan said those seeking the offices up for election on the Nov. 6 ballot can qualify from Aug. 8 through Sept. 7.
Qualifying will be held for:
- The county attorney special election to replace the late Scott Phillips;
- District 3 on the Marion County School Board, currently held by Jessie Graham;
- District 4 on the county school board, currently held by Wendy Hammonds; and
- One spot on the Columbia School District Board of Trustees, currently held by Dr. Ronald Luethje.
To qualify, a statement of intent must be filed along with a petition signed by not less than 50 registered voters from the district in which election is sought. A statement of economic interest must be filed electronically within 15 days of qualifying with the Mississippi Ethics Commission and required campaign finance disclosure reports must be filed with the Circuit Clerk’s Office by 5 p.m. on the day of the filing deadline.
According to the Secretary of State’s Office, all candidates must be qualified voters and not convicted of a crime that disqualifies them.
For more on how to qualify for the municipal election, visit the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website, sos.ms.gov.
The voter registration deadline will be Saturday, Oct. 6 at noon. Absentee voting begins Sept. 22 and ends Nov. 3 at noon.
The biggest election on the ballot is the U.S. Senate seat formerly held for 40 years by Thad Cochran. U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, whom Gov. Phil Bryant appointed to fill the position pending the special election, faces fellow Republican State Sen. Chris McDaniel and Democrat Mike Espy, a former congressman and U.S. secretary of agriculture. The top two will advance to a Nov. 27 runoff if no one gets 50 percent plus 1 vote.
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, a Republican, is also on the ballot for another six-year term, facing State Rep. David Baria, a Democrat.
Other races include House District 4, currently held by Republican Steven Palazzo, a Mississippi Supreme Court Justice position, a Court of Appeals position and Circuit Court and Chancery Court judges.
Nolan said voters who need to update their addresses can visit her office at the courthouse or go to the state’s Y’all Vote website (sos.ms.gov/vote).
