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Mississippi judicial elections
Judges in Mississippi participate in nonpartisan elections, except for the justice court judges, which are selected in partisan elections.[1] Most judicial elections take place in even-numbered years. However, local judicial elections for the justice courts and any municipal judgeships occur in odd years.[2][3] Judges must run for re-election in contested elections for subsequent terms.
Mississippi is one of five states that uses nonpartisan elections, partisan elections, and retention elections to determine whether judges should remain on the bench, depending on the court. To read more about how states use judicial elections to select judges across the country, click here.
The judges are elected to the following terms, respectively, after which they must seek re-election if they wish to retain the seat:
| Supreme Court | Court of Appeals | Circuit Court | Chancery Court | County Court | Justice Court |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan election | Nonpartisan election | Nonpartisan election | Nonpartisan election | Nonpartisan election | Partisan election |
| Eight-year term | Eight-year term | Four-year term | Four-year term | Four-year term | Four-year term |
Elections
- Mississippi Supreme Court elections, 2024
- Mississippi intermediate appellate court elections, 2024
- Mississippi intermediate appellate court elections, 2022
- Mississippi Supreme Court elections, 2020
- Mississippi Supreme Court elections, 2018
- Mississippi intermediate appellate court elections, 2018
- Mississippi local trial court judicial elections, 2018
- Mississippi judicial elections, 2016
- Mississippi judicial elections, 2014
- Mississippi judicial elections, 2012
- Mississippi judicial elections, 2010
- Mississippi Supreme Court elections, 2004-2010
Election rules
Primary election
Mississippi does not hold primary elections for judicial candidates.[4]
General election
Qualified judicial candidates, including those running unopposed, appear on the general election ballot. There is no indication of party affiliation. When two or more candidates are competing for a seat, they are listed in alphabetical order.[4]
The winner of the general election is determined by majority vote. If no candidate receives a majority (over 50 percent) of the total vote, the top two candidates advance to a runoff election that takes place three weeks later.[4]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ State of Mississippi Judiciary, "About the Courts," accessed May 1, 2014
- ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Election Year Chart," accessed May 1, 2014
- ↑ Information received via email with various Mississippi county clerks on August 18, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Mississippi Election Code," accessed May 1, 2014 (Page 617-618)
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Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Mississippi, Southern District of Mississippi
State courts:
Mississippi Supreme Court • Mississippi Court of Appeals • Mississippi circuit courts • Mississippi Chancery Court • Mississippi county courts • Mississippi justice courts • Mississippi youth courts • Mississippi Municipal Courts
State resources:
Courts in Mississippi • Mississippi judicial elections • Judicial selection in Mississippi
