Bill Text: MS SB2706 | 2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Municipal elections; impose residency requirements to run for municipal governing authority offices.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Failed) 2020-03-03 - Died In Committee [SB2706 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2020-SB2706-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2020 Regular Session
To: Elections
By: Senator(s) Blackwell
Senate Bill 2706
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-300, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY THAT ANY CANDIDATE FOR A MUNICIPAL GOVERNING AUTHORITY OFFICE SHALL BE A RESIDENT OF THE WARD THAT HE OR SHE SEEKS TO REPRESENT FOR TWO YEARS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE ELECTION DAY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 23-15-300, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
23-15-300. (1) Any candidate for any municipal, county or county district office shall be a resident of the municipality, ward, county, county district or other territory that he or she seeks to represent in such office for two (2) years immediately preceding the day of election. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any municipality with less than one thousand (1,000) residents according to the latest federal decennial census.
(2) A candidate shall prove in his or her qualifying information that he or she meets the applicable residency requirement or provide absolute proof, subject to no contingencies, that he or she will meet the residency requirement on or before the date of the election at which the candidate could be elected to office. The appropriate election official or executive committee, whichever is applicable, with whom a candidate files qualifying information shall review and determine whether the candidate meets the applicable residency requirement according to the procedures in Section 23-15-299. The appropriate election commission shall review and determine whether a candidate required to file qualifying information with it meets the applicable residency requirement according to the procedures in Section 23-15-359.
(3) If the qualifications for an elected office include a specific residency requirement, the residency requirement in this section shall not apply.
(4) This section shall apply to elections held from and after January 1, 2020.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
