MS HB726

Secretary of State shall prescribe standardized forms for all candidates to use when qualifying for elections, including forms for candidate statements, petitions, and intent-to-be-candidate filings across state, municipal, judicial, and school district elections.

Candidate qualification forms must require candidates to certify that they meet all qualifications for the office they seek, in addition to existing name, address, email, party affiliation, and office information.

Standardized petition forms prescribed by the Secretary of State apply to independent candidates, special election candidates, municipal candidates, judicial candidates, school board trustees, and county board of education candidates.

All candidates continue to file qualifying documents in person (not via Internet) by existing statutory deadlines, with forms now standardized statewide rather than varying by jurisdiction.

Bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and amends 12 sections of Mississippi Code related to candidate qualification procedures across multiple types of elections.