How to Run for Justice Court Judge in Mississippi

Mississippi elects its justice court judges in 2027, and the race works differently from the other county offices on the ballot. Justice court judge is a nonpartisan office. There is no party primary and no petition. Each candidate files a Qualifying Statement of Intent for Judicial Candidate, an Affidavit or Pledge of Judicial Candidate and a $100 fee with the circuit clerk of the county, between Monday, January 4 and 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 1, 2027. The candidates then appear on the general election ballot on Tuesday, November 2, 2027, without a party label.

To qualify, you must be a registered voter of the county, have lived in the county for at least two years before the general election, and be a high school graduate or have the equivalent. A new justice court judge must also complete a training course required by law within six months after the term begins. This guide walks through each step. The rules come from the Mississippi Code, including Section 23-15-977 as amended in 2026, and the Secretary of State's candidate qualifying guide and county election handbook. Confirm anything specific to your county with your circuit clerk.

For the full picture of a 2027 Mississippi race, see our guide to running for local office in Mississippi.

How a nonpartisan judicial race differs

Most county offices in 2027 are partisan. Their candidates qualify with a party, compete in the August 3 primary and, if they win, appear on the November ballot as that party's nominee. Justice court judge candidates do not. The Secretary of State's county election handbook says candidates for judicial office, including justice court judge, "run as non-partisan candidates and only participate in the November General Election, with no designation of a political party affiliation on the ballot or otherwise."

This changes the shape of your campaign:

• One election, not two. Your race is decided in November, so you have from February to November to introduce yourself, rather than racing to an August primary.
• No party label on the ballot. Voters see your name only, so your campaign has to explain who you are and why you are qualified.
• No party executive committee. You file with the circuit clerk, who passes your name to the county election commissioners, the officials who conduct the general election.

Judicial candidates may also be subject to rules on campaign conduct for judges. Ask the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance which rules apply to a justice court candidate before you start campaigning.

Step 1: Check that you qualify

The Secretary of State's guide lists these qualifications for justice court judge (Miss. Code Ann. Section 9-11-3; Mississippi Constitution, Sections 171 and 250; Miss. Code Ann. Section 23-15-300):

• A registered voter of the county. The Constitution's term is "qualified elector."
• A resident of the county for at least two years before the general election. The county election handbook adds that justice court judge candidates "are not required to be residents of the specific district from which they seek election." They must be registered voters and residents of the county.
• A high school graduate or the equivalent.
• Training after election. A new judge must complete the course of training required by law within six months of the beginning of the term.

Rules that apply to every candidate.

• Certain convictions. Section 44 of the Mississippi Constitution bars a person convicted of bribery, perjury or another infamous crime, unless pardoned, and a person convicted of a felony as that section describes. Manslaughter and tax-law violations are excluded unless the offense involved misuse of an office or its money. If you have any conviction, ask an attorney before you file.
• Voting outside the county. A candidate who voted in an election somewhere else during the period they were required to live in the county is kept off the ballot, with an exception for someone later redistricted into it.
• Other filings. Check with the Secretary of State for any other filings a candidate must have on record.

Ask your circuit clerk how many justice court judges your county elects and which post or district you would run for.

Step 2: Gather your qualifying papers

The Secretary of State's candidate qualifying forms page lists the justice court judge forms under county district offices. You need:

1. The Qualifying Statement of Intent, Judicial Candidate. It asks for your legal name as registered to vote, date of birth, the office and district number, your physical and mailing address, email and phone. It also asks whether you want your name to appear differently on the ballot, such as a short form of your first name or a nickname. A nickname may be used only if election officials decide it is needed to identify you to voters.
2. The Affidavit or Pledge of Judicial Candidate.
3. The $100 qualifying fee. State law sets the fee for justice court judge at $100 (Section 23-15-977). The Secretary of State's guide says it is made payable to the circuit clerk of the county of your residence.

On the statement of intent, you certify under penalty of perjury that you are a registered voter of the county or district, meet the residency rules, are not barred by Section 44 and meet every legal requirement to hold the office.

Step 3: File with the circuit clerk by February 1

State law says judicial candidates may not file before January 1 of the election year and must file by 5:00 p.m. on February 1 (Section 23-15-977). In 2027:

• Qualifying opens Monday, January 4, 2027. January 1 is New Year's Day, a Friday, so January 4 is the first weekday (based on state law).
• Qualifying closes at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 1, 2027.

File with the circuit clerk of your county. Deliver your papers in person if you can. Qualifying papers cannot be filed online, and the Secretary of State's guide says a mailed filing counts only if the clerk's office receives it by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline, whatever its postmark. The circuit clerk notifies the county election commissioners of each candidate within two business days.

Within 15 days of qualifying, file a Statement of Economic Interest electronically with the Mississippi Ethics Commission.

Step 4: Plan a nine-month campaign

With no primary, your campaign runs from February to November. A steady plan works better than a rush in the fall.

• February to April: introduce yourself. Write a short, plain statement of your background and why you want to serve. List the communities in the county and plan to appear in each one.
• May to August: build your list. Attend local events, speak to civic groups that invite candidates, and collect names, with written permission, of people who want to hear from you. Partisan candidates will be busy with the August 3 primary, so these months are a good time to be seen and heard.
• September and October: meet voters at their doors. Ask your circuit clerk how to obtain a list of registered voters, and focus on households that vote in November elections. Voter registration for the general election closes on Monday, October 4, 2027 (based on state law), because thirty days before November 2 is a Sunday.
• Tuesday, November 2, 2027: the general election. The Secretary of State's calendar also lists a general runoff on Tuesday, November 30, 2027, for any race that needs one. Ask your circuit clerk whether that applies to your race.

If volunteers help with door-knocking, Beacon, a door-to-door canvassing app, lets you draw turf (the area each volunteer covers), assign it, give canvassers walk lists ordered by distance, and record a result at each door, such as contacted, not home or come back later. Our Mississippi 2027 election calendar lists every date.

Step 5: Keep supporters informed by text

A nonpartisan race depends on voters remembering your name in November. A few well-timed texts to supporters who asked to hear from you help with that. Set up CampaignCNX+ in the spring.

1. Committee and Campaign Verify. Campaign Verify confirms to the carriers (the mobile phone companies) that a political sender is a real campaign. It needs a 527 committee (the federal tax status of a political committee) with an EIN (the committee's federal tax ID number) and a filing with an election authority that is published online. Ask the Secretary of State's Elections Division or your circuit clerk where your campaign's filing can be viewed online before you request, and contact Campaign Verify Support if you cannot find it. A request made on or after Sunday, November 15, 2026 lasts until January 31, 2029. It costs $95, and Campaign Verify decides eligibility. Our post on Campaign Verify for local candidates explains the process.
2. Registration. CampaignCNX+ files your carrier registration, as 10DLC (the registration for texting from a standard local-style number) or toll-free, and files your Campaign Verify token with it. For a toll-free number, the carrier review usually takes about three business days.
3. Your supporter group. Add only people who agreed in writing to receive campaign texts, with the date recorded in a custom field.
4. A reminder before November 2. Keep it short, name yourself and the office, and end the first message with the opt-out line:

Hi [First name], this is [Name], candidate for Justice Court Judge. Election Day is Tue, Nov 2. Thank you for your support. Reply STOP to opt out.

Texts send only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the recipient's time zone, and STOP replies are handled automatically. 100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month. Our political texting page covers texting for campaigns.

File early in January

Confirm your two years of county residency, ask which post you would run for, and gather the statement of intent, the affidavit and the fee before qualifying opens on January 4. When you are ready to stay in touch with supporters through November, start a CampaignCNX+ trial.