Update 3-6-17 (This article has been corrected to reflect that voters can still vote in a run off if they did not vote in the primary. However, if a voter voted for a candidate running under a certain party, then the voter must vote for a candidate within that same party during the runoff.)
This year both municipalities will hold elections to fill seats on the Picayune City Council and Poplarville Board of Aldermen. The registration process began earlier this month.
The process to register for a particular position requires the prospective candidate to go to their respective city clerk’s office, and fill out the proper paperwork. If the candidate wishes to run as either a Republican or Democrat, they will have to fill out the proper paperwork and submit $10. Picayune City Clerk Amber Hinton said that money is remitted to the party, not retained by the city.
Candidate applications are then given to the executive committee for each party in each city to be assessed for qualifications.
Executive committees in Picayune are established, Hinton said.
In Poplarville there is currently not a Republican Executive Committee, said Stacey Wilkes, who serves on the state’s Republican Executive Committee. To ensure that candidates wishing to run as a Republican can do so, a one-time committee will be established at a meeting set for Jan. 30. Wilkes said that the time and place for the meeting will be announced soon.
Anyone wishing to serve on the Poplarville Municipal Republican Executive Committee can simply show up to the meeting. Their responsibilities will include certifying the candidates wishing to run as Republicans and working the election the day of. A Democratic Executive Committee in Poplarville is established.
Candidates wishing to run as an Independent will need to secure signatures from 50 registered voters from their respective district or precinct if they are running for a Council seat in Picayune. The position of mayor in Picayune is at-large.
All seats in Poplarville are at-large.
The deadline to qualify to run for any of the seats in either municipality is March 3.
The primary election will be held on May 2, with the runoff set for May 16. The general election will be held on June 6.
City residents wishing to cast a vote in this election should ensure they are registered. Anyone not registered can do so until noon on April 1, at the Pearl River County Circuit Clerk’s office, either in Poplarville or Picayune. Voters that did not vote in the primary can still register for the general election if they do so before May 6 by noon.