As cities across Mississippi prepare for municipal elections this year, the election qualifying period is now underway.
Candidates began qualifying on Thursday morning and have until Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. to submit a statement of intent to run to their respective municipal clerk’s office. Those running under party labels, such as Democrat or Republican, must pay a fee of 10 dollars. If running as an independent, the same fee applies but candidates are required to have 50 elector signatures to seek office.
According to the candidate qualifying guide provided by the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office, municipal candidates will be approved if they have lived in the city or ward they are seeking office for at least two years before the general election, exempting towns with less than 1,000 people. For commission-rooted municipalities, candidates must be a resident of the municipality at hand for at least one year prior to the first day of a new term.
Additionally, candidates will be required to provide a statement of economic interest to the Mississippi Ethics Commission within 15 days of qualifying. Finance disclosure reports must then be filed by various deadlines provided throughout the campaign cycle.
With the state’s most populous cities of Jackson and Gulfport topping a long list of municipalities holding elections in 2025, the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office provided the following dates for voters to be aware of:
- April 1: Primary Election Day
- April 22: Primary Runoff Election Day
- June 3: General Election Day
On each Election Day, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
