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To: Elections
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Blackmon
SENATE BILL NO. 2052
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 3-3-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
DESIGNATE THE DAYS OF THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, THE GENERAL 2
STATE ELECTION, AND THE ELECTION OF A U.S. SENATOR AS LEGAL 3
HOLIDAYS IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. Section 3-3-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 6
amended as follows: 7
3-3-7. (1) (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection 8
(2) of this section, the following are declared to be legal 9
holidays, viz: the first day of January (New Year's Day); the 10
third Monday of January (Robert E. Lee's birthday and Dr. Martin 11
Luther King, Jr.'s birthday); the third Monday of February 12
(Washington's birthday); the last Monday of April (Confederate 13
Memorial Day); the last Monday of May (National Memorial Day and 14
Jefferson Davis' birthday); the fourth day of July (Independence 15
Day); the first Monday of September (Labor Day); the first Tuesday 16
after the first Monday in November of 2028, and of every fourth 17
year thereafter (U.S. Presidential Election Day); the first 18
Tuesday after the first Monday in November of 2027, and of every 19
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fourth year thereafter (General State Election Day); the eleventh 20
day of November (Armistice or Veterans' Day); the day fixed by 21
proclamation by the Governor of Mississippi as a day of 22
Thanksgiving, which shall be fixed to correspond to the date 23
proclaimed by the President of the United States (Thanksgiving 24
Day); and the twenty-fifth day of December (Christmas Day). 25
(b) In addition, any day of a general election, whether 26
held as a regular or a special election, on which at least one (1) 27
of Mississippi's two (2) U.S. Senate seats is on the ballot is 28
declared to be a legal holiday. 29
(c) In the event any holiday * * * declared legal in 30
this subsection (1) shall fall on Sunday, then the next following 31
day shall be a legal holiday. 32
(2) In lieu of any one (1) legal holiday provided for in 33
subsection (1) of this section, with the exception of the third 34
Monday in January (Robert E. Lee's and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 35
birthday) and the eleventh day of November (Armistice or Veterans' 36
Day), the governing authorities of any municipality or county may 37
declare, by order spread upon its minutes, Mardi Gras Day or any 38
one (1) other day during the year, to be a legal holiday. 39
(3) August 16 is declared to be Elvis Aaron Presley Day in 40
recognition and appreciation of Elvis Aaron Presley's many 41
contributions, international recognition and the rich legacy left 42
to us by Elvis Aaron Presley. This day shall be a day of 43
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recognition and observation and shall not be recognized as a legal 44
holiday. 45
(4) May 8 is declared to be Hernando de Soto Day in 46
recognition, observation and commemoration of Hernando de Soto, 47
who led the first and most imposing expedition ever made by 48
Europeans into the wilds of North America and the State of 49
Mississippi, and in further recognition of the Spanish explorer's 50
187-day journey from the Tombigbee River basin on our state's 51
eastern boundary, westward to the place of discovery of the 52
Mississippi River on May 8, 1541. This day shall be a day of 53
commemoration, recognition and observation of Hernando de Soto and 54
European exploration and shall not be recognized as a legal 55
holiday. 56
(5) Armistice Day (Veterans' Day) shall be observed by 57
appropriate exercises in all the public schools in the State of 58
Mississippi. The superintendent of schools of each public school 59
district is authorized to provide for the appearance of uniformed 60
military personnel, uniformed veterans or the families of fallen 61
military personnel/veterans at such public school exercises in 62
honor of Armistice (Veterans') Day. The superintendent of schools 63
is also authorized to permit the school band and its director(s) 64
at any public school in the district to perform at Armistice 65
(Veterans') Day exercises in the school district upon the request 66
of public officials or veterans associations without loss of any 67
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ST: State holidays; designate days of general
elections for statewide offices as.
program credit by participating students and without loss of leave 68
by participating school personnel. 69
(6) The month of March is declared to be "Mississippi 70
Musicians Month" to recognize and celebrate the state's rich 71
musical heritage and to encourage the world to join Mississippi in 72
honoring our musicians and their contributions. 73
(7) In recognition of the service, courage and sacrifice of 74
the valiant service members of the Tuskegee Airmen who served 75
during World War II, the fourth Thursday of March is designated as 76
Tuskegee Airmen Day in Mississippi. This should be a day of 77
recognition and observation and shall not be recognized as a legal 78
holiday. 79
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 80
and after July 1, 2026. 81