Mississippi candidate guide
Who qualifies for county office and the Legislature, qualifying from January 4 to 5:00 p.m. on February 1, the fee for party candidates and the petition for independents, the August 3 primary, and how to run the campaign to November 2.
The short answer
2027 is Mississippi's year for county offices, the Legislature and statewide offices. County voters elect the sheriff, chancery clerk, circuit clerk, tax assessor, tax collector, coroner, surveyor, county attorney, members of the board of supervisors, justice court judges and constables, and two of each county's five supervisors districts elect an election commissioner. Party candidates get on the ballot by filing a qualifying statement of intent and paying a fee between Monday, January 4, 2027 and 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 1, 2027. They do not circulate a petition. The party primary is on Tuesday, August 3, 2027, the primary runoff is on Tuesday, August 31, and the general election is on Tuesday, November 2, 2027.
Three other routes exist. Independent candidates file a petition signed by registered voters (50 for a countywide office, 15 for a supervisors district and 50 for a legislative district) by the same February 1 deadline, and appear only on the November ballot. Justice court judges run without a party label and file a judicial statement of intent and a $100 fee with the circuit clerk. Election commissioner candidates file a 50-signature petition with the chancery clerk. City and town offices are not on the 2027 ballot; Mississippi's code charter municipalities next elect in 2029.
This guide walks through each step in order. The rules come from the Mississippi Code (Title 23, Chapter 15, and the office statutes it refers to), the Mississippi Constitution as quoted by the Secretary of State, and the Secretary of State's candidate qualifying guide, county election handbook and 2026 to 2027 election calendar. Dates marked "based on state law" are worked out from the statutes and are not yet printed on an official 2027 calendar. This is not legal advice, so confirm anything specific to your office with your circuit clerk or the Secretary of State's Elections Division. If you have never run for anything before, our post on how to run for local office with no experience covers the groundwork that applies in any state.
County offices. The Secretary of State's calendar lists these county offices for 2027: sheriff, chancery clerk, circuit clerk, tax assessor, tax collector, coroner, county attorney, surveyor, supervisors, justice court judges, constables and election commissioners. Most are elected by the whole county. Supervisors and constables are county district offices, elected by the voters of a district within the county. Ask your circuit clerk which offices will be on your county's ballot.
Election commissioners. Each county has five election commissioners, one from each supervisors district. Under the law in force through 2027, only Districts Two and Four elect a commissioner at the 2027 general election, for a three-year term. Districts One, Three and Five elected theirs in 2024.
State offices. The Legislature (State Senators and State Representatives), district attorneys, Transportation and Public Service Commissioners, and the statewide offices from Governor to Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce are also elected in 2027. This guide covers county offices and the Legislature. Our post on how to run for the Mississippi Legislature covers legislative qualifying in detail.
Not on the 2027 ballot. City and town offices are elected every four years under state law; the last regular municipal general election was in 2025 and the next is in 2029. The Secretary of State's calendar lists school board members, chancery and circuit judges and county court judges under 2026, not 2027. If you came here planning a city council or school board run, ask your municipal clerk or circuit clerk when your seat is next elected.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Monday, January 4, 2027 | Qualifying opens (the Secretary of State's date for legislative offices; for county offices, based on state law) |
| Monday, February 1, 2027, 5:00 p.m. | Qualifying closes for every route onto the ballot |
| Wednesday, March 3, 2027 | Party executive committees finish reviewing candidates' qualifications (based on state law) |
| Tuesday, August 3, 2027 | Party primary election |
| Tuesday, August 31, 2027 | Primary runoff, where no candidate won a majority |
| Monday, October 4, 2027 | Voter registration deadline for the general election (based on state law) |
| Tuesday, November 2, 2027 | General election |
| Tuesday, November 30, 2027 | General runoff, for any race that needs one |
The Legislature can change election law, so check again with your circuit clerk in December. Our Mississippi 2027 election calendar lists every date in order, with notes on voter registration and the review period after qualifying.
Step 1
All candidates for an office must meet the same qualifications, whatever their party. Check these before you file, because the qualifying statement asks you to certify under penalty of perjury that you meet them.
Be a registered voter where you will serve. A candidate for a county, county district or judicial office must be a qualified elector, meaning a registered voter, of the county or district the office serves (Mississippi Constitution, Section 250). If you have moved, update your registration with the circuit clerk well before January.
Meet the residency rule for your office. For most county offices, the Secretary of State's guide cites a two-year residency rule (Miss. Code Ann. Section 23-15-300):
Meet any office-specific requirements. A few offices have more. A county attorney must be a licensed, practicing attorney. A surveyor must be a registered land surveyor. A coroner must be at least 21 and have a high school diploma or its equivalent. A justice court judge must be a high school graduate or the equivalent and must complete a required training course within six months after the term begins. A sheriff must not owe money as a defaulter to the state, a county, a city or the United States. Our guides on running for sheriff, running for county supervisor, running for circuit or chancery clerk and running for justice court judge cover each office in more detail.
Check the rules that can disqualify a candidate.
Step 2
Party candidates, whether Democratic, Republican or of another party, file a Qualifying Statement of Intent for a Candidate for Party Nomination and pay a $100 fee. They file at the circuit clerk's office in their county of residence, from Monday, January 4 to 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 1, 2027. The fee is set by state law and is the same for every party, and the Secretary of State's guide says it is made payable to the party. The circuit clerk forwards the papers and fee to the secretary of the party's county executive committee within two business days. No petition is needed.
Two details apply to every party equally. A candidate cannot qualify with a party that does not have an organized county executive committee in that county, unless the party's state executive committee has agreed in writing to act in its place. And the county party executive committee, not the county election commission, runs the party's primary.
Legislative party candidates file their statement of intent and a $250 fee with their party's state executive committee by 5:00 p.m. on February 1. The Secretary of State has announced that legislative qualifying runs from January 4 to February 1, 2027. The legislative guide covers the qualifications and the district question in more detail.
An independent candidate files a Qualifying Statement of Intent for an Independent Candidate, a petition and a fee by the same deadline, and appears only on the November ballot. State law sets the minimum signatures:
The circuit clerk's office of the county where the signatures were collected must certify them before you file, so allow time for that check. County independents file with the circuit clerk and pay $100 to the county. Legislative independents file with the Secretary of State and pay $250. Our guide to running as an independent in Mississippi covers the petition step by step.
Justice court judge is a nonpartisan office. Candidates file 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 by 5:00 p.m. on February 1, 2027. There is no primary and no petition. The candidates appear on the November ballot without a party label.
Election commissioner candidates in Districts Two and Four file a petition signed by at least 50 registered voters of their supervisors district with the chancery clerk, who is the clerk of the board of supervisors, by 5:00 p.m. on February 1, 2027. The circuit clerk certifies the signatures. Candidates declare a party affiliation in writing, if they have one, and it is shown on the November ballot, but there is no primary.
Step 3
Filing is the most important task of the winter. A few habits prevent most problems.
Within 15 days of qualifying, file a Statement of Economic Interest electronically with the Mississippi Ethics Commission. It is an ethics disclosure, and failing to file it does not remove a candidate from the ballot, but it can bring fines.
After you file. The party executive committees review each candidate's qualifications. In a statewide election year they must finish within 30 days of the deadline, which is Wednesday, March 3, 2027 (based on state law). A candidate found not qualified is notified by mail at least three business days before a hearing. A challenger, or a disqualified candidate, may ask the circuit court to review the decision within 10 days after it is made. If you are the only candidate in your party's primary for an office, you are declared the nominee.
Start the list early
The supporters who sign up at the doors, at events and on your website are the list you text in the final weeks. Open the account now so your number is registered before you need it. 100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month.
Step 4
Mississippi has a long gap between qualifying and the primary. A candidate who qualifies on February 1 has about 26 weeks until the August 3 primary, and then another 13 weeks until the November 2 general election. Use the spring to build your base and the summer to remind supporters to vote.
County races are often won through conversations at the door, especially for a supervisor or constable seat. A simple approach is to divide your district into areas, knock on each area once in the spring, and return to households that were undecided in the summer. If volunteers help, Beacon, a door-to-door canvassing app, lets you draw turf (the area each volunteer covers) on a map, 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 campaign plan to the August 3, 2027 Mississippi primary turns these dates into a phase-by-phase schedule.
Step 5
Text messages help you reach supporters at the moments that matter: the registration deadline, the week before the primary, the runoff and the general election. Set texting up in this order with CampaignCNX+.
100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month, and the free texts can be used once your number is bought and approved. After that, pay-as-you-go texting costs $0.06 per SMS segment, and the Basic plan is $55 a month for 1,000 texts. For the full setup, read texting voters in a Mississippi local race. Our post on Campaign Verify for local candidates explains verification in more depth, and our political texting page covers texting for campaigns.
Before the ballot is set
Once filing closes the race moves quickly. An account set up now means your first supporter text goes out on time. 100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month.
Running for local office FAQ
Not if you run as a party candidate. Party candidates file a qualifying statement of intent and a $100 fee at the circuit clerk's office by 5:00 p.m. on February 1, 2027. Independent candidates need a petition signed by at least 50 registered voters of the county for a countywide office, or 15 of the district for a supervisors district seat. Election commissioner candidates need 50 signatures from their supervisors district.
5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 1, 2027, for party, independent, justice court judge and election commissioner candidates. It is an actual-receipt deadline, so a mailed filing must arrive by then. Qualifying opens on Monday, January 4, 2027.
Not online. State law does not allow qualifying papers or petitions to be filed over the internet. You may mail them, but they count only if the office receives them by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline, so most candidates deliver them in person.
No city or town offices are on the 2027 ballot; the next regular municipal elections are in 2029. The Secretary of State's calendar lists school board members under 2026. Ask your circuit clerk about any school board seat in your county.
For most county offices, the Secretary of State's guide cites two years of residency in the county, or in the district for supervisor and constable, before the general election. Check the rule for your office in Step 1 and confirm it with your circuit clerk.
No. Justice court judges run as nonpartisan candidates. They file with the circuit clerk by February 1, skip the primary, and appear on the November ballot without a party label.
Start sending
The weeks before qualifying opens are the right time to check your registration and residency, confirm your district, pick up the current forms and set up the tools you will use after February 1. When you are ready to reach supporters by text, start a CampaignCNX+ trial. CampaignCNX+ files your carrier registration and your Campaign Verify token for you.
