Bill Text: MS HB894 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Secretary of State; require to resign from office before qualifying as candidate for other elected office.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2021-02-02 - Died In Committee [HB894 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2021-HB894-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2021 Regular Session
To: Apportionment and Elections; Accountability, Efficiency, Transparency
By: Representative Summers
House Bill 894
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-211.1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT UPON HIS OR HER DECLARATION OF CANDIDACY, THE SECRETARY OF STATE MAY NOT OVERSEE ANY PART OF THAT ELECTION; TO PROVIDE THAT THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THAT ELECTION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 23-15-211.1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
23-15-211.1. (1) For purposes of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, the Secretary of State is designated as Mississippi's chief election officer.
(2) As the chief election officer of the State of Mississippi, the Secretary of State shall have the power and duty to gather sufficient information concerning voting in elections in this state. The Secretary of State shall gather information on voter participation and submit an annual report to the Legislature, the Governor, the Attorney General and the public.
(3) (a) The Secretary of State may be a candidate for any other office at any election held or to be held during the four-year term for which he or she has been elected to the Office of Secretary of State; however, notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, upon his or her declaration of candidacy or his or her performance of any substantive act to become a candidate, the Secretary of State may not oversee any part of that election.
(b) If the Secretary of State is prohibited from overseeing the election in which he or she is a candidate as provided in paragraph (a) of this subsection, then the assistant secretary of state shall take the oath of office and assume all of the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for that election as provided in this chapter.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2021.
