It’s election season in Mississippi, with midterms under two months away and statewide races just over a year out, and Secretary of State Michael Watson is looking to keep voters up to speed on some recent changes.
A legislative update in Mississippi altered how some races are determined. Some require a majority vote, or more than 50%, for a candidate to be declared the winner. Some require a plurality vote, or a higher tally than the candidate’s opponents, to determine a victor, regardless of whether or not the office seeker earned more than half of the ballots cast.
Watson has outlined which races are determined by a majority vote and which ones are decided by a plurality to keep Mississippians informed.
Those that require a majority vote are:
- Governor
- Lt. Governor
- Secretary of State
- Attorney General
- State Auditor
- State Treasurer
- Ag. Commissioner
- Insurance Commissioner
- State Supreme Court
- State Court of Appeals
- Circuit Court Judge
- Chancery Court Judge
- County Court Judge
- Justice Court Judge
- Chancery Clerk
- Circuit Clerk
- County Attorney
- County Coroner
- County Sheriff
- Tax Assessor
- Tax Collector
- Board of Supervisor
- Election Commissioner
- Constable
- School Board
Those that require a plurality vote are:
- President
- U.S. Senate
- U.S. House of Representatives
- Public Service Commissioner
- Transportation Commissioner
- District Attorney
- State Senate
- State House of Representatives
- Mayor
- Alderman
- City Council
READ MORE: Mississippi officials promoting National Voter Registration Month
“Ensuring Mississippi voters and election officials have clear, straightforward information about how our elections are decided is imperative,” Watson said. “The requirements are not the same for every office, so we want to make sure candidates, election officials, and voters have trusted information prior to Election Day.”
This year’s general election will be held on Nov. 3. The 2027 races will feature Aug. 3 primaries and a Nov. 2 general election.
