Handbook·Elections

Running for office in Mississippi

State page·Verified 2026-07-10

This page covers what's specific to Mississippi on top of the general guide to filing for local office.

Filing in Mississippi

Mississippi's candidate filing system runs through political parties rather than a single state office. If you're seeking a major-party primary nomination, you file a statement of intent and pay a qualifying fee to that party's state executive committee for legislative and statewide office, or to the county executive committee for county office, not to the Secretary of State. Independent candidates instead file directly with the Secretary of State and qualify either by paying a fee or by collecting petition signatures.

Deadlines and numbers

  • Party primary statement of intent and fee: due to the party's state executive committee by 5:00pm, March 1 of the election year
  • State legislature qualifying period, 2026 cycle: opens July 21, 2026, closes 5:00pm August 20, 2026
  • Qualifying fee: $2,500 to $25,000 for party candidates, set by the party committee. $2,500 flat for independents, paid to the Secretary of State
  • Petition alternative: 500 qualified electors statewide, or 100 qualified electors in each congressional district, filed as a separate petition per district

The dossier didn't independently verify the exact qualifying fee schedule and signature thresholds for county and municipal offices specifically, as opposed to state legislature. County and municipal candidates generally file with the circuit clerk or municipal clerk rather than the Secretary of State. It also didn't confirm whether the 2025 or 2026 municipal election calendar differs from the state legislature calendar above, since municipal elections run on a separate cycle. Confirm both with your local clerk or /engage.

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