Qualifying period for municipal election 2021 begins

The qualifying period for 2021 June municipal elections has begun and will run through Friday, February 5, 2021, at 5 p.m.  At this point in time, two new candidates have announced their candidacy for Alderman-at-Large, Patsy Waston and Catherine Poarch.  The City of Town of Pelahatchie is governed by the Mayor and seven elected Aldermen. City elections are held every four years for the Mayor, one Alderman-at-Large and six Ward-designated Aldermen to represent each respective ward. The winning candidates in the primary elections will participate in the June General Election as the political party's nominee(s) for specific offices. An independent candidate participates only in the June General Election and, for the purposes of the ballot, has no designated political party affiliation. Parties interested in running in the 2021 municipal election cycle who choose to participate in a primary election to seek the nomination of a particular political party must submit to the Municipal Clerk's Office a "Qualifying Statement of Intent for a Candidate for Party Nomination," together with a qualifying fee of ten dollars, no later than 5 p.m. on February 5, 2021, which is sixty days prior to the date of the first primary election. The Municipal Clerk will forward the Statement of Intent and the filing fee to the Secretary of the proper political party's Municipal Executive Committee. Qualifying forms are available from the Municipal Clerk's Office and on-line from the Secretary of State's website.   An individual who chooses to participate in the general election only, without any political party affiliation, must submit to the Municipal Clerk's Office a "Qualifying Statement of Intent for an Independent Candidate," together with a Qualifying Petition, no later than 5 p.m. on February 5, 2021. Independent candidates do not pay a qualifying fee, but their Qualifying Petition must be signed by at least fifty qualified (registered) voters of the municipality or ward from which the candidate seeks office. The Municipal Clerk's Office must certify the signatures on the Qualifying Petition are those of registered voters of the municipality and/or ward. Qualifying forms, including Petitions, are available from the Municipal Clerk's Office and on-line from the Secretary of State's website. In order to qualify for office, all candidates must be a qualified elector (registered voter) of the State of Mississippi and in the municipality/ward of the office for which the candidate seeks election; be a resident of the municipality, county or county district office that he or she seeks to represent for two years immediately preceding the day of the election; along with meet requirements for not having been convicted of specific crimes, as explained on the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website.  Additionally, there are other duties a candidate running for office will need to do, such as filing a Statement of Economic Interest with the Mississippi State Ethics Commission within fifteen days of qualifying. They will also be required to file Campaign Finance Reporting Statements.