JACKSON, Miss. - The qualifying deadline for candidates for the County and County District Special Elections is Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.

Additionally, the qualifying deadline for candidates for County School Board, Municipal Separate School District Trustee, Special Municipal Separate School District Trustee or Consolidated/Consolidated Line School District Trustee is Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.

These offices will appear on the November 3rd General Election Ballot.

JACKSON, Miss. - Secretary of State Michael Watson hosted the 2026-2027 Secretary of State (SOS) Student Ambassadors for their Fall Summit on Thursday. The event, hosted at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson, marked the first of the in-person summits the Student Ambassadors will attend throughout the school year.

JACKSON, Miss. - Secretary of State Michael Watson announces the 2026 Promote the Vote (PTV) program materials are now available through the Secretary of State's website.

This year’s theme “America 250: Celebrate Today, Vote for Tomorrow!” encourages students to commemorate 250 years of American democracy by exploring the importance of voting and civic participation in Mississippi and throughout the nation.

JACKSON, Miss. - Today, July 21, 2026, is the first day for candidates to file petitions and/or qualifying statements for the offices of County School Board, Municipal Separate School District Trustee, Special Municipal Separate School District Trustee or Consolidated/Consolidated Line School District Trustee.

JACKSON, Miss. – Periodic campaign finance reports for all nonpartisan judicial candidates are due by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10, 2026.

Candidates may submit reports via:

It has recently come to our attention that mail is being distributed with a QR Scan Code, which has the purpose of directing voters to the Voter Registration Verification on the Mississippi Secretary of State's website. Please be advised use of the Voter Registration Verification link will require the voter to input the information exactly as it is in the voter's registration.

JACKSON, Miss. – Beginning July 1, 2026, per House Bill (HB) 1532 (passed during the 2026 Legislative Session) which established the Mississippi Business Filing Fraud Prevention Act, constituents facing business filing fraud issues may now file complaints using the Business Fraud Declaration Form.

JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi Secretary of State Charities Division has issued a Cease and Desist Order and Notice of Intended Actions against North Star Rescue, Inc. (a Mississippi non-profit corporation), revoked North Star Rescue’s charitable registration, and dissolved North Star Rescue with the Business Services Division.

North Star Rescue should not be operating, and Mississippians should refrain from donating to the Charity.

JACKSON, Miss. – In observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, 2026, Secretary of State Michael Watson urges Mississippians to educate themselves on the increasingly sophisticated threats of financial exploitation.

"We have continued to see our greatest generation targeted because of their vulnerability. Financial exploitation remains a dangerous threat to elderly adults, and I encourage all Mississippians to reaffirm their commitment to helping protect our senior investors," said Secretary Michael Watson.

Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson announced today that the East Mississippi Sentinel Landscape (EMSL) has officially been selected for designation by the federal Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, recognizing the region’s national importance to military readiness, working lands conservation, and long-term landscape resilience.