When it comes to elections, Mississippi can be confusing.
Those running for statewide, judicial and county offices must get a majority of the vote — that is, 50% plus one vote — in order to win. If no candidate gets a majority, the top two vote-getters meet in a runoff election.
Those running for regional, legislative and municipal offices, however, win with a simple plurality — that is, receiving the most votes in the contest, even if less than 50% of the total.
The standard should be the same for all contests in this state. It should be the plurality rule, as is the case for federal elections.
If a plurality is good enough to elect a U.S. president, it should be good enough to elect a county justice court judge.
