Senate Bill 2374 Summary

• Establishes the "Nonpartisan County Elections Act" making six county offices nonpartisan: chancery clerk, circuit clerk, tax assessor, tax collector, county surveyor, and county coroner.

• Prohibits candidates for these offices from campaigning based on party affiliation and bars political parties and committees from fundraising, contributing to, or endorsing candidates for these positions.

• Requires candidates to file intent 60 days before elections and pay a $100 filing fee to the circuit clerk, with a provision allowing fee waivers for those unable to pay.

• Directs that candidate names appear in alphabetical order on ballots in a separate nonpartisan section with no party affiliation labels, and establishes a runoff election process if no candidate receives a majority vote.

• Amends Mississippi election code sections to remove these county offices from party nomination fee requirements and conform election procedures to accommodate the new preferential county election process.