The Green Papers: Mississippi State and Local Government

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Governor:1
Senators: 2 (Electoral Classes 1 and 2)
2020 Census: 2,963,914 (0.89% of 331,797,979
- 2024, 2028 Electors: 6 (1.12% of 538)
- 2022-2030 Representatives: 4 (0.92% of 435)
2010 Census: 2,978,240 (0.96% of 309,785,186)
- 2012, 2016, 2020 Electors: 6 (1.12% of 538)
- 2012-2020 Representatives: 4 (0.92% of 435)
Capital: Jackson

Current Mississippi Statewide Office Holders

Official Name/Status All States

The STATE of Mississippi
Status: STATE of the Union
Organized as a Territory: 7 April 1798. 1 Stat. 549: previously, land ceded to the United States by the State of Georgia
Admitted to the Union as a State: 10 December 1817 by a Joint Resolution of Congress (3 Stat. 472)
The 20th state.

Traditional Sections and Regions All States

Section: SOUTH
Region: Lower ["Deep"] South
Survey: Public Domain

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act (of the Congress of the United States): 1 March 1817 [3 Stat. 348: authorizing formation of a State government and Admission thereafter]
- 1st (1817-1832) [Adopted: 15 August 1817 Convention convened, 7 July 1817, Ratified: 2 September 1817]
- 2nd (1832-1868) [Adopted: 26 October 1832 Convention convened, 10 September 1832, Ratified: 4 December 1832]
- 3rd (1868-1890) [Adopted: 15 May 1868 Convention convened, 7 January 1868, Ratified: 1 December 1868 ratified by a vote of 105,223 to 954 upon resubmission after this Constitution had originally been rejected by the People, 28 June 1868, by a vote of 63,860 against to 56,231 for]
- 4th (1890-) [Adopted: 1 November 1890 Convention convened, 12 August 1890, Ratified: 1 November 1890 not submitted to the People: this action was challenged in the case of Sproule v. Fredericks but was upheld by the Mississippi Supreme Court [69 Miss. 898 (11 So. 472)]]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
- GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
- Lieutenant Governor [elected separately from GOVERNOR]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States
- Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
- Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027
- Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027
- Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027
- Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027
- Auditor of Public Accounts: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027
- Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027
- Commissioner of Insurance: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
- LEGISLATURE

Upper House
- Senate
Lower House
- House of Representatives

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
- Supreme Court
Intermediate Appellate Court
- Court of Appeals

Local Government All States

PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
- County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS]
  - MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    - beat [Type: None, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure]

Key Statewide / Federal Officials All States

Mississippi Officials

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
- (--2020) Federal: Tuesday next after first Monday in November in even-numbered years.
  State: Tuesday next after first Monday in November in odd-numbered years. (Mississippi Constitution 1890)
- (2020--) Federal: Tuesday next after first Monday in November in even-numbered years.
  State: §140. The Governor ... and all statewide elected officials shall be chosen on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday of November 2023 and ... every 4th year thereafter ... If no person received a majority of the votes, then a runoff election shall be held under procedures prescribed by the Legislature in general law. (Mississippi Constitution 1890, Amended 2020: Ballot Measure 2, House Concurrent Resolution No. 47). "... where no candidate receives a majority of votes case in a special election, then a runoff election shall be held 3 weeks after the election." [§ 23-15-833]
Presidential Primary All States
- A presidential preference primary may be held on the second Tuesday in March of each year in which a President of the United States is to be elected. (Mississippi Code Ann. § 23-15-1081.)
State Primary All States
- For local and state elections:
  The first primary shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of August preceding any regular or general election; and the second primary shall be held three (3) weeks thereafter. Any candidate who receives the highest popular vote cast for the office which he seeks in the first primary shall thereby become the nominee of the party for such office; provided also it be a majority of all the votes cast for that office. If no candidate receives such majority of popular votes in the first primary, then the two (2) candidates who receive the highest popular vote for such office shall have their names submitted as such candidates to a second primary, and the candidate who leads in such second primary shall be nominated to the office. When there is a tie in the first primary of those receiving next highest vote, these two (2) and the one (1) receiving the highest vote, none having received a majority, shall go into the second primary, and whoever leads in such second primary shall be entitled to the nomination. (Mississippi Code Ann. § 23-15-191)
  For Federal elections:
  ... the first primary election for Congressmen shall be held on the first Tuesday in June of the years in which congressmen are elected, and the second primary, when one is necessary, shall be held three (3) weeks thereafter. Each year in which a presidential election is held, the congressional primary shall be held as provided in Section 23-15-1081 (second Tuesday in March -Ed). (Mississippi Code Ann. § 23-15-1031)
  ... Any candidate who receives the highest popular vote cast for the office which he seeks in the first primary shall thereby become the nominee of the party for such office; provided also it be a majority of all the votes cast for that office. If no candidate receive such majority of popular votes in the first primary, then the two (2) candidates who receive the highest popular vote for such office shall have their names submitted as such candidates to a second primary, and the candidate who leads in such second primary shall be nominated to the office. When there is a tie in the first primary of those receiving next highest vote, these two (2) and the one (1) receiving the highest vote, none having received a majority, shall go into the second primary, and whoever leads in such second primary shall be entitled to the nomination. (Mississippi Code Ann. § 23-15-191)
  ... when a political party elects to conduct a presidential preference primary, the first primary election for congressmen, and senators, if senators are to be elected, shall be held on the second Tuesday in March, and the second primary, when one is necessary, shall be held three (3) weeks thereafter ... (Mississippi Code Ann. § 23-15-1083)
Polling times All States
- (1972--) At all elections, the polls shall be opened at seven o'clock in the morning and be kept open until seven o'clock in the evening and no longer. [Mississippi Code Ann. §23-15-541 (1972); Mississippi Const.1890, §102]

Links Links to other web sites. These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes.

Constitution
- Unannotated Mississippi Code - Mississippi Constitution
Election Authority. All States
- Mississippi Secretary of State
Legislature. All States
Democratic
- Mississippi Democratic Party
Republican
- Mississippi Republican Party
Third Party
Media & others

State and Local Government Outline

Modified .