The last day to vote in-person absentee in Mississippi’s municipal primary runoff elections is Saturday, April 19, the Mississippi Secretary of State office says. Municipal Clerk’s Offices around the state will be open from 8:00 a.m. until noon. After that, the only option for in-person voters will be on the day of the primary runoff: Tuesday, April 22.
In the capital city, Democratic primary voters will cast their ballots to either renominate incumbent Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba to run for a third term or to elect longtime Mississippi Sen. John Horhn.
Horhn, who has run for the seat multiple times and lost, garnered just over 48% of the vote during the April 1 Democratic primary. Lumumba won nearly 17% of the vote to secure a slot in the run-off. The incumbent has a more difficult path this year as he faces the prospect of a federal criminal trial in 2026 for what federal prosecutors alleged was his part in a sprawling bribery scheme involving several other Hinds County elected officials.
In Jackson, Republican candidates Kenny Gee and Wilfred Beal will face off on April 22 in hopes of running against the ultimate Democratic nominee.
After the primary runoffs, nominees for city and town positions across the state will face off in the June 3 general elections. In Jackson, the Democratic and Republican nominees will face independent candidates Kim Wade, Rodney Depriest and Zach Servis in the general election.
Two Jackson City Council races are headed to runoff elections as well. The incumbents for both Ward 6 and Ward 7 declined to run for re-election.
The Ward 6 seat is currently held by Aaron Banks, who faces federal bribery allegations alongside the mayor and Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens.
Information technology professionals Emon Thompson and Lashia Brown-Thomas are competing to fill Banks’ seat.
Former Midtown Public Charter School principal Kevin Parkinson and real-estate professional Quint Withers are facing off for the Ward 7 seat to replace outgoing Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay. The winner of the Ward 7 race will face Independent Ron Aldridge during the June 3 general election.
All mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by April 22 and received by Municipal Clerk’s Offices by 5:00 p.m. on April 30 in order to be counted.
Anyone who voted in the April 1 primary may only vote in the same party’s runoff but are free to vote however they want in the June 3 general election. Registered voters who did not vote in the April 1 primary can vote in either party’s runoff on April 22.
You must be registered 30 days before the date of an election, primary or runoff to cast a ballot in Mississippi and must bring an accepted form of voter ID. More information on voter ID, including how to obtain a free voter ID, is available here.
For questions, please contact the Elections Division at 1-800-829-6786, email ElectionsAnswers@sos.ms.gov, or visit YallVote.ms or contact your municipal clerk’s office directly.
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