2021 is a major election year for the five municipalities of Tallahatchie County, as all elected government positions are up for grabs.
Anyone interested in seeking the offices of mayor or town alderman/city commissioner in Charleston, Glendora, Sumner, Tutwiler or Webb may qualify as early as Monday, Jan. 4, when the qualifying period officially opens.
Prospective candidates have until 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, to file qualifying papers and pay any required qualifying fees at the respective municipal clerk's office.
Primary election day for municipal offices is Tuesday, April 6. A primary runoff, if needed, would be April 27. The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, June 8.
Those elected in June will begin a new four-year term on July 1.
To seek municipal office as a party candidate, such as Democrat or Republican, a person must submit to the municipal clerk's office a "Qualifying Statement of Intent for a Candidate for Party Nomination" and pay a filing fee of $10.
Independent candidates — those who run without party affiliation — do not have to pay a filing fee, but they must file a "Qualifying Statement of Intent for an Independent Candidate" as well as a petition form bearing the signatures of a prescribed number of registered voters. That number varies based on the office sought and the municipality's population.
In Charleston, Tutwiler and any other municipalities in Mississippi having a population of 1,000 residents or more, independent candidates for the office of mayor must submit a petition with the signatures of at least 50 qualified electors of the city or town.
Independent candidates for mayor of Glendora, Sumner and Webb, or any other municipality in the state with a population of less than 1,000, must present a petition with the signatures of at least 15 registered voters of the town.
Candidates for alderman or commissioner on any municipal board in Tallahatchie County must submit a petition with the signatures of at least 15 qualified voters living within their respective ward. In the case of Sumner, those 15 registered voters may live anywhere in town, since the municipality elects aldermen on an at-large basis.
Qualifying statements and properly formatted candidate petition forms are available at municipal clerk offices.
These forms, as well as publications such as the "2021 Elections Calendar" and the "2021 Candidate Qualifying Guide," may be referenced or downloaded at the website of the secretary of state, at https://www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting.
Candidates for municipal office must meet the following criteria, according to the secretary of state's office:
• Qualified elector of the state of Mississippi and of the municipality/ward of the office for which the candidate seeks election
• Resident of the municipality that he/she seeks to represent for two years immediately preceding the day of the election (in Charleston and Tutwiler); however, this requirement does not apply to municipalities with less than 1,000 residents (as in Glendora, Sumner and Webb)
• Never have been convicted of bribery, perjury or other infamous crime, being defined as a crime punishable by a minimum of one year confinement in the state penitentiary, unless pardoned for the offense
• Never have been convicted of a felony in a court of this state or, of a felony in a federal court, or of a crime in the court of another state which is a felony under the laws of this state, on or after Dec. 8, 1992; excluding, however, a conviction of manslaughter or a violation of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code or any violation of the tax laws of this state, unless the offense also involved the misuse or abuse of an office or money coming into a candidate's hands by virtue of an office
In other election news:
Appearing on this year's general election ballot for some voters in Tallahatchie County are the positions of school board trustee in Education District 1 (a seat on the West Tallahatchie School District Board of Trustees presently held by Lucinda Berryhill) and Education District 6 (a spot on the East Tallahatchie School District Board of Trustees now occupied by Lincoln "Buddy" Smith).
Candidate qualifying for school board positions does not begin until Aug. 4, and the qualifying deadline is Sept. 3.
School board races will not appear on ballots until the Nov. 2 general election.
For more information about the 2021 elections, visit https://www.sos.ms.gov/Elections-Voting or contact the secretary of state's office by phone at 800-829-6786 or by email to electionsanswers@sos.ms.gov.
