Jackson, MS – August 2, 2010 – Jackson, MS – During the 2010 MS legislative session the candidate qualification deadline for state and county elections in 2011 was changed to June 1, 2011 at 5:00 pm. This change is for one year only. The usual deadline is March 1 and that will be the deadline again for the 2012 elections.
The statutory change appears at MS Code 23-15-299 (1)(b).
The candidate qualification deadline was changed because it is anticipated that the 2010 census data for Mississippi will not be released ambien online until at least late January or early February, 2011. The anticipated release date for the census data will not leave enough time for the legislature to both adopt a legislative redistricting plan based on that data and receive the required pre-clearance from the US Dept. of Justice under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act by March 1, 2011.
Whether the legislature will be able to adopt a legislative redistricting plan and receive Justice Dept. pre-clearance before June 1, 2011 remains to be seen.
