Ballot initiatives; bring forward code sections concerning.

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To: Elections
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) England

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 2919

AN ACT TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 23-17-1, 23-17-3, 23-17-5, 1
23-17-7, 23-17-8, 23-17-9, 23-17-11, 23-17-13, 23-17-15, 2
23-17-17, 23-17-19, 23-17-21, 23-17-23, 23-17-25, 23-17-27, 3
23-17-29, 23-17-31, 23-17-33, 23-17-35, 23-17-37, 23-17-39, 4
23-17-41, 23-17-42, 23-17-43, 23-17-45, 23-17-47, 23-17-49, 5
23-17-51, 23-17-53, 23-17-55, 23-17-57, 23-17-59, 23-17-60 AND 6
23-17-61, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE 7
AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. Section 23-17-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 10
brought forward as follows: 11
23-17-1. (1) For purposes of this chapter, the following 12
term shall have the meaning ascribed herein: 13
"Measure" means an amendment to the Mississippi Constitution 14
proposed by a petition of qualified electors under Section 273, 15
Mississippi Constitution of 1890. 16
(2) If any qualified elector of the state desires to 17
initiate a proposed amendment to the Constitution of this state as 18
authorized by subsections (3) through (13) of Section 273 of the 19
Mississippi Constitution of 1890, he shall first file with the 20
Secretary of State a typewritten copy of the proposed initiative 21
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measure, accompanied by an affidavit that the sponsor is a 22
qualified elector of this state. 23
(3) The sponsor of an initiative shall identify in the text 24
of the initiative the amount and source of revenue required to 25
implement the initiative. If the initiative requires a reduction 26
in any source of government revenue, or a reallocation of funding 27
from currently funded programs, the sponsor shall identify in the 28
text of the initiative the program or programs whose funding must 29
be reduced or eliminated to implement the initiative. 30
(4) The person proposing the measure shall also include all 31
the information required under Section 273, Mississippi 32
Constitution of 1890. 33
SECTION 2. Section 23-17-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 34
brought forward as follows: 35
23-17-3. The petition for a proposed initiative measure must 36
be filed with the Secretary of State not less than ninety (90) 37
days before the first day of the regular session of the 38
Legislature at which it is to be submitted. A petition is valid 39
for a period of twelve (12) months. 40
SECTION 3. Section 23-17-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 41
brought forward as follows: 42
23-17-5. Upon receipt of any proposed initiative measure, 43
the Secretary of State shall submit a copy of the proposed measure 44
to the Attorney General and give notice to the person filing the 45
proposed measure of such transmittal. Upon receipt of the 46
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measure, the Attorney General may confer with the person filing 47
the proposed measure and shall within ten (10) working days from 48
receipt thereof review the proposal for matters of form and style, 49
and such matters of substantive import as may be agreeable to the 50
person filing the proposed measure, and shall recommend such 51
revision or alteration of the measure as may be deemed necessary 52
and appropriate. The recommendations of the Attorney General 53
shall be advisory only, and the person filing the proposed measure 54
may accept or reject them in whole or in part. The Attorney 55
General shall issue a certificate of review certifying that he has 56
reviewed the measure for form and style and that the 57
recommendations thereon, if any, have been communicated to the 58
person filing the proposed measure, and such certificate shall 59
issue whether or not the person filing the proposed measure 60
accepts such recommendations. Within fifteen (15) working days 61
after notification of submittal of the proposed initiative measure 62
to the Attorney General, the person filing the proposed measure, 63
if he desires to proceed with his sponsorship, shall file the 64
measure together with the certificate of review with the Secretary 65
of State for assignment of a serial number and the Secretary of 66
State shall thereupon submit to the Attorney General a certified 67
copy of the measure filed. Upon submitting the proposal to the 68
Secretary of State for assignment of a serial number the Secretary 69
of State shall refuse to make such assignment unless the proposal 70
is accompanied by a certificate of review. 71
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SECTION 4. Section 23-17-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 72
brought forward as follows: 73
23-17-7. The Secretary of State shall give a serial number 74
to each initiative measure, and forthwith transmit one (1) copy of 75
the measure proposed bearing its serial number to the Attorney 76
General. Thereafter, a measure shall be known and designated on 77
all petitions, ballots and proceedings as "Initiative Measure No. 78
____." 79
SECTION 5. Section 23-17-8, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 80
brought forward as follows: 81
23-17-8. When an amendment to the Mississippi Constitution 82
of 1890 is proposed to the qualified electors of the state under 83
the voter initiative procedure set forth in Section 23-17-1 et 84
seq., the Secretary of State, with the approval of the Attorney 85
General, may make a nonsubstantive clerical or technical 86
correction in the section number reference or designation of the 87
proposed amendment contained in an initiative measure, as may be 88
appropriate or necessary in order to prevent the use of an 89
existing section number or the possibility of the initiative being 90
declared invalid only because of an error in the section number 91
designation. Such a correction may be made at any time after the 92
Attorney General's certificate of review with regard to the 93
initiative measure has been issued, and before the ballot for the 94
initiative measure is printed. The provisions of this section do 95
not authorize the Secretary of State to make any change other than 96
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a nonsubstantive correction in the section number reference or 97
designation of the proposed amendment contained in the initiative 98
measure. 99
SECTION 6. Section 23-17-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 100
brought forward as follows: 101
23-17-9. Within seven (7) calendar days after the receipt of 102
an initiative measure, the Attorney General shall formulate and 103
transmit to the Secretary of State a concise statement posed as a 104
question and not to exceed twenty (20) words, bearing the serial 105
number of the measure and a summary of the measure, not to exceed 106
seventy-five (75) words, to follow the statement. The statement 107
shall give a true and impartial statement of the purpose of the 108
measure. Neither the statement nor the summary may intentionally 109
be an argument, nor likely to create prejudice, either for or 110
against the measure. Such concise statement shall constitute the 111
ballot title. The ballot title formulated by the Attorney General 112
shall be the ballot title of the measure unless changed on appeal. 113
When practicable, the question posed by the ballot title shall be 114
written in such a way that an affirmative answer to such question 115
and an affirmative vote on the measure would result in a change in 116
then current law, and a negative answer to the question and a 117
negative vote on the measure would result in no change to then 118
current law. 119
SECTION 7. Section 23-17-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 120
brought forward as follows: 121
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23-17-11. Upon the filing of the ballot title and summary 122
for an initiative measure in his office, the Secretary of State 123
shall forthwith notify by certified mail return receipt requested, 124
the person proposing the measure and any other individuals who 125
have made written request for such notification of the exact 126
language of the ballot title. The Secretary of State shall 127
publish the title and summary for an initiative measure within ten 128
(10) days after filing such title and summary in a newspaper or 129
newspapers of general circulation throughout the State of 130
Mississippi. 131
SECTION 8. Section 23-17-13, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 132
brought forward as follows: 133
23-17-13. If any person is dissatisfied with the ballot 134
title or summary formulated by the Attorney General, he or she 135
may, within five (5) days from the publications of the ballot 136
title and summary by the office of the Secretary of State, appeal 137
to the circuit court of the First Judicial District of Hinds 138
County by petition setting forth the measure, the title or summary 139
formulated by the Attorney General, and his or her objections to 140
the ballot title or summary and requesting amendment of the title 141
or summary by the court. 142
A copy of the petition on appeal together with a notice that 143
an appeal has been taken shall be served upon the Secretary of 144
State, upon the Attorney General and upon the person proposing the 145
measure if the appeal is initiated by someone other than that 146
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person. Upon the filing of the petition on appeal or at the time 147
to which the hearing may be adjourned by consent of the appellant, 148
the court shall accord first priority to examining the proposed 149
measure, the title or summary prepared by the Attorney General and 150
the objections to that title or summary. The court may hear 151
arguments, and, within ten (10) days, shall render its decision 152
and file with the Secretary of State a certified copy of such 153
ballot title or summary as it determines will meet the 154
requirements of Section 23-17-9. The decision of the court shall 155
be final. 156
SECTION 9. Section 23-17-15, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 157
brought forward as follows: 158
23-17-15. When the ballot title and summary are finally 159
established, the Secretary of State shall file the instrument 160
establishing it with the proposed measure and transmit a copy 161
thereof by certified mail return receipt requested, to the person 162
proposing the measure and to any other individuals who have made 163
written request for such notification. Thereafter such ballot 164
title shall be the title of the measure in all petitions, ballots 165
and other proceedings in relation thereto. The summary shall 166
appear on all petitions directly following the ballot title. 167
SECTION 10. Section 23-17-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 168
brought forward as follows: 169
23-17-17. (1) The person proposing an initiative measure 170
shall print blank petitions upon single sheets of paper of good 171
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writing quality not less than eight and one-half (8-1/2) inches in 172
width and not less than fourteen (14) inches in length. Each 173
sheet shall have a full, true and correct copy of the proposed 174
measure referred to therein printed on the reverse side of the 175
petition or attached thereto. 176
(2) Only a person who is a qualified elector of this state 177
may circulate a petition or obtain signatures on a petition. 178
SECTION 11. Section 23-17-19, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 179
brought forward as follows: 180
23-17-19. The Secretary of State shall design the form each 181
sheet of which shall contain the following: 182
"WARNING 183
EVERY PERSON WHO SIGNS THIS PETITION WITH ANY OTHER THAN HIS 184
OR HER TRUE NAME, KNOWINGLY SIGNS MORE THAN ONE OF THESE PETITIONS 185
RELATING TO THE SAME INITIATIVE MEASURE, SIGNS THIS PETITION WHEN 186
HE OR SHE IS NOT A QUALIFIED ELECTOR OR MAKES ANY FALSE STATEMENT 187
ON THIS PETITION MAY BE PUNISHED BY FINE, IMPRISONMENT, OR BOTH. 188
PETITION FOR INITIATIVE MEASURE 189
To the Honorable ___________________, Secretary of State of 190
the State of Mississippi: 191
We, the undersigned citizens and qualified electors of the 192
State of Mississippi, respectfully direct that this petition and 193
the proposed measure known as Initiative Measure No. ____, 194
entitled (here insert the established ballot title of the 195
measure), a full, true and correct copy of which is printed or 196
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attached on the reverse side of this petition, be transmitted to 197
the Legislature of the State of Mississippi at its next ensuing 198
regular session, and we respectfully petition the Legislature to 199
adopt the proposed measure; and each of us for himself or herself 200
says: I have personally signed this petition, I am a qualified 201
elector of the State of Mississippi in the city (or town), county 202
and congressional district written after my name, my residence 203
address is correctly stated and I have knowingly signed this 204
petition only once." 205
Each sheet shall also provide adequate space for the 206
following information: Petitioner's signature; print name for 207
positive identification; residence address, street and number, if 208
any; city or town; county; precinct; and congressional district. 209
SECTION 12. Section 23-17-21, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 210
brought forward as follows: 211
23-17-21. Before a person may file a petition with the 212
Secretary of State, the petition must be certified by the circuit 213
clerk of each county in which the petition was circulated. The 214
circuit clerk shall certify the signatures of qualified electors 215
of that county and shall state the total number of qualified 216
electors signing the petition in that county. The circuit clerk 217
shall verify the name of each qualified elector signing on each 218
petition. A circuit clerk may not receive any fee, salary or 219
compensation from any private person or private legal entity for 220
the clerk's duties in certifying an initiative petition. When the 221
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person proposing any initiative measure has secured upon the 222
petition a number of signatures of qualified electors equal to or 223
exceeding the minimum number required by Section 273(3) of the 224
Mississippi Constitution of 1890 for the proposed measure, and 225
such signatures have been certified by the circuit clerks of the 226
various counties, he may submit the petition to the Secretary of 227
State for filing. The Secretary of State shall collect a fee of 228
Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) from the person filing the petition 229
to pay part of the administrative and publication costs. 230
SECTION 13. Section 23-17-23, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 231
brought forward as follows: 232
23-17-23. The Secretary of State shall refuse to file any 233
initiative petition being submitted upon any of the following 234
grounds: 235
(a) That the petition is not in the form required by 236
Section 23-17-19; 237
(b) That the petition clearly bears insufficient 238
signatures; 239
(c) That one or more signatures appearing on the 240
petition were obtained in violation of Section 23-17-17(2), 241
Section 23-17-57(2) or Section 23-17-57(3); 242
(d) That the time within which the petition may be 243
filed has expired; or 244
(e) That the petition is not accompanied by the filing 245
fee provided for in Section 23-17-21. 246
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In case of such refusal, the Secretary of State shall endorse 247
on the petition the word "submitted" and the date, and retain the 248
petition pending appeal. 249
If none of the grounds for refusal exists, the Secretary of 250
State shall accept and file the petition. 251
SECTION 14. Section 23-17-25, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 252
brought forward as follows: 253
23-17-25. If the Secretary of State refuses to file an 254
initiative petition when submitted to him for filing, the person 255
submitting it for filing, within ten (10) days after his refusal, 256
may apply to the Supreme Court for an order requiring the 257
Secretary of State to bring the petition before the court and for 258
a writ of mandamus to compel him to file it. The application 259
shall be considered an emergency matter of public concern and 260
shall be heard and determined with all convenient speed. If the 261
Supreme Court decides that the petition is legal in form, 262
apparently contains the requisite number of signatures of 263
qualified electors, was filed within the time prescribed in the 264
Constitution and was accompanied with the proper filing fee, it 265
shall issue its mandate directing the Secretary of State to file 266
the petition in his office as of the date of submission. 267
SECTION 15. Section 23-17-27, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 268
brought forward as follows: 269
23-17-27. If no appeal is taken from the refusal of the 270
Secretary of State to file a petition within the time prescribed, 271
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or if an appeal is taken and the Secretary of State is not 272
required to file the petition by the mandate of the Supreme Court, 273
the Secretary of State shall destroy it. 274
SECTION 16. Section 23-17-29, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 275
brought forward as follows: 276
23-17-29. The Secretary of State shall file with the Clerk 277
of the House and the Secretary of the Senate on the first day of 278
the regular legislative session the complete text of each 279
initiative for which a petition has been certified and filed with 280
him. A constitutional initiative may be adopted or amended by a 281
majority vote of each house of the Legislature. If the initiative 282
is adopted, amended or rejected by the Legislature; or if no 283
action is taken within four (4) months of the date that the 284
initiative is filed with the Legislature, the Secretary of State 285
shall place the initiative on the ballot for the next statewide 286
general election. If the Legislature amends an initiative, the 287
amended version and the original initiative shall be submitted to 288
the electors. An initiative or legislative alternative must 289
receive a majority of the votes thereon and not less than forty 290
percent (40%) of the total votes cast at the election at which the 291
measure was submitted to be approved. If conflicting initiatives 292
or legislative alternatives are approved at the same election, the 293
initiative or legislative alternative receiving the highest number 294
of affirmative votes shall prevail. 295
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SECTION 17. Section 23-17-31, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 296
brought forward as follows: 297
23-17-31. (1) Whenever the Legislature rejects a measure 298
submitted to it by initiative petition and adopts an amendment to 299
the measure proposed by initiative petition, then the Secretary of 300
State shall give the measure adopted by the Legislature the same 301
number as that borne by the initiative measure followed by the 302
letter "A." Such measure so designated as "Alternative Measure 303
No. ____A," together with the ballot title thereof, when 304
ascertained, shall be certified by the Secretary of State to the 305
county election commissioners for printing on the ballots for 306
submission to the voters for their approval or rejection at the 307
next statewide general election. 308
(2) The chief legislative budget officer shall prepare a 309
fiscal analysis of each initiative and each legislative 310
alternative. A summary of each fiscal analysis shall appear on 311
the ballot. 312
SECTION 18. Section 23-17-33, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 313
brought forward as follows: 314
23-17-33. For a measure designated by him as "Alternative 315
Measure No. ____A," the Secretary of State shall obtain from the 316
Attorney General a ballot title in the manner provided by Section 317
23-17-9. The ballot title therefor shall be different from the 318
ballot title of the measure in lieu of which it is proposed, and 319
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shall indicate, as clearly as possible, the essential differences 320
in the measure. 321
SECTION 19. Section 23-17-35, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 322
brought forward as follows: 323
23-17-35. Except in the case of alternative voting on a 324
measure initiated by petition, each measure submitted to the 325
people for approval or rejection shall be so printed on the 326
ballot, under the proper heading, that a voter can, by making one 327
(1) choice, express his approval or rejection of such measure. 328
Substantially the following form shall be a compliance with this 329
section: 330
INITIATIVE MEASURE NO. ______ 331
(Here insert the ballot title of the measure.) 332
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ( ) 333
NO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ( ) 334
SECTION 20. Section 23-17-37, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 335
brought forward as follows: 336
23-17-37. If an initiative measure proposed to the 337
Legislature has been rejected by the Legislature and an 338
alternative measure is passed by the Legislature in lieu thereof, 339
the serial numbers and ballot titles of both such measures shall 340
be printed on the official ballots so that a voter can express 341
separately two (2) preferences: First, by voting for the approval 342
of either measure or against both measures, and, secondly, by 343
voting for one measure or the other measure. If the majority of 344
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those voting on the first issue is against both measures, then 345
both measures fail, but in that case the votes on the second issue 346
nevertheless shall be carefully counted and made public. If a 347
majority voting on the first issue is for the approval of either 348
measure, then the measure receiving a majority of the votes on the 349
second issue and also receiving not less than forty percent (40%) 350
of the total votes cast at the election at which the measure was 351
submitted for approval shall be law. Any person who votes against 352
both measures on the first issue may vote but shall not be 353
required to vote for any of the measures on the second issue in 354
order for the ballot to be valid. Substantially the following 355
form shall be a compliance with this section: 356
INITIATED BY PETITION AND ALTERNATIVE 357
BY LEGISLATURE 358
Initiative Measure No. ____, entitled (here insert the ballot 359
title of the initiative measure). 360
Alternative Measure No. ____ A, entitled (here insert the 361
ballot title of the alternative measure). 362
VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF EITHER, OR AGAINST BOTH: 363
FOR APPROVAL OF EITHER Initiative No. ____ 364
OR Alternative No. ____ A................................. ( ) 365
AGAINST BOTH Initiative No. ____ 366
AND Alternative No. ____ A................................ ( ) 367
AND VOTE FOR ONE: 368
FOR Initiative Measure No. ____........................... ( ) 369
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FOR Alternative Measure No. ____ A........................ ( ) 370
SECTION 21. Section 23-17-39, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 371
brought forward as follows: 372
23-17-39. No more than five (5) initiative proposals shall 373
be submitted to the voters on a single ballot, and the first five 374
(5) initiative proposals submitted to the Secretary of State with 375
sufficient petitions shall be the proposals which are submitted to 376
the voters. 377
SECTION 22. Section 23-17-41, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 378
brought forward as follows: 379
23-17-41. An initiative approved by the electors shall take 380
effect thirty (30) days from the date of the official declaration 381
of the vote by the Secretary of State, unless the measure provides 382
otherwise. 383
SECTION 23. Section 23-17-42, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 384
brought forward as follows: 385
23-17-42. When a proposed change, alteration or amendment 386
proposed to the Constitution by initiative of the people or 387
legislative alternative receives the required number of votes as 388
provided in Section 273(8), Mississippi Constitution of 1890, the 389
Secretary of State shall insert the proposed change, alteration or 390
amendment into the Constitution by proclamation of his or her 391
office certifying that the proposed change, alteration or 392
amendment to the Constitution received the required number of 393
votes as provided in Section 273(8), Mississippi Constitution of 394
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1890. The Secretary of State shall also designate the article 395
number and section number or numbers for the proposed change, 396
alteration or amendment in the Constitution if the article number 397
and section number or numbers are not provided in the initiative 398
of the people or legislative alternative. 399
SECTION 24. Section 23-17-43, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 400
brought forward as follows: 401
23-17-43. If any amendment to the Constitution proposed by 402
initiative petition is rejected by a majority of the qualified 403
electors voting thereon, no initiative petition proposing the 404
same, or substantially the same, amendment shall be submitted to 405
the electors for at least two (2) years after the date of the 406
election on such amendment. 407
SECTION 25. Section 23-17-45, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 408
brought forward as follows: 409
23-17-45. (1) A pamphlet containing a copy of all 410
initiative measures and legislative alternatives, including the 411
ballot title and ballot summary, arguments or explanations for and 412
against each measure and alternative and the fiscal analysis 413
prepared by the chief legislative budget officer shall be compiled 414
by the Secretary of State. The sponsor may prepare the argument 415
or explanation on the measure. If the sponsor does not prepare 416
the argument or explanation, then the Secretary of State shall do 417
so. Each argument or explanation shall not exceed three hundred 418
(300) words. The Secretary of State shall publish the ballot 419
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title, ballot summary, full text of each measure and arguments or 420
explanations for and against each measure and alternative once a 421
week for three (3) consecutive weeks immediately preceding the 422
election in at least one (1) newspaper of general circulation in 423
each county of the state. The costs of such printing and 424
publication shall be borne by the Secretary of State from funds 425
appropriated by the Legislature. 426
(2) The Secretary of State shall conduct at least one (1) 427
public hearing in each congressional district on each measure to 428
be placed on the ballot and shall give public notice thereof at 429
least thirty (30) days before a hearing. 430
SECTION 26. Section 23-17-47, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 431
brought forward as follows: 432
23-17-47. For the purposes of Sections 23-17-47 through 433
23-17-59, the following terms shall have the meanings ascribed to 434
them in this section: 435
(a) "Contribution" means any gift, subscription, loan, 436
advance, money or anything of value made by a person or political 437
committee for the purpose of influencing the passage or defeat of 438
a measure on the ballot, for the purpose of obtaining signatures 439
for the proposed ballot measures and attempting to place the 440
proposed measure on the ballot, and for the purpose of opposing 441
efforts to place a proposed measure on the ballot; but does not 442
include noncompensated, nonreimbursed volunteer personal services. 443
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(b) "Person" means any individual, family, firm, 444
corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity. 445
(c) "Political committee" means any person, other than 446
an individual, who receives contributions or makes expenditures 447
for the purpose of influencing the passage or defeat of a measure 448
on the ballot. 449
(d) "Expenditure" means any purchase, payment, 450
distribution, loan, advance, deposit, gift of money or anything of 451
value, made by any person or political committee for the purpose 452
of influencing any balloted measure, for the purpose of obtaining 453
signatures for a proposed ballot measure and attempting to place 454
the proposed measure on the ballot, and for the purpose of 455
opposing efforts to place a proposed measure on the ballot. 456
SECTION 27. Section 23-17-49, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 457
brought forward as follows: 458
23-17-49. (1) Each political committee shall file with the 459
Secretary of State a statement of organization no later than ten 460
(10) days after receipt of contributions aggregating in excess of 461
Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00), or no later than ten (10) days 462
after having made expenditures aggregating in excess of Two 463
Hundred Dollars ($200.00). 464
(2) The statement of organization of a political committee 465
must include: 466
(a) The name and address of the committee and all 467
officers; 468
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(b) Designation of a director of the committee and a 469
custodian of books and accounts of the committee, who shall be 470
designated treasurer; and 471
(c) A brief statement identifying the measure that the 472
committee seeks to pass or defeat. 473
Any change in information previously submitted in a statement 474
of organization shall be reported and filed within ten (10) days. 475
SECTION 28. Section 23-17-51, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 476
brought forward as follows: 477
23-17-51. (1) A political committee that either receives 478
contributions or makes expenditures in excess of Two Hundred 479
Dollars ($200.00) shall file financial reports with the Secretary 480
of State. 481
(2) An individual person who on his or her own behalf 482
expends in excess of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) for the purpose 483
of influencing the passage or defeat of a measure shall file 484
financial reports with the Secretary of State. 485
(3) The financial reports required in this section shall be 486
filed monthly, not later than the tenth day of the month following 487
the month being reported, after a political committee or an 488
individual exceeds the contribution or expenditure limits. 489
Financial reports must continue to be filed until all 490
contributions and expenditures cease. In all cases a financial 491
report shall be filed thirty (30) days following the election on a 492
measure. 493
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(4) Any person, who violates the provisions of this section, 494
shall be subject to a fine as provided in Section 23-15-813. 495
SECTION 29. Section 23-17-53, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 496
brought forward as follows: 497
23-17-53. A financial report of a political committee, or an 498
individual person, as required by Section 23-17-51, shall contain 499
the following information: 500
(a) The name, address and telephone number of the 501
committee or individual person filing the statement. 502
(b) For a political committee: 503
(i) The total amount of contributions received 504
during the period covered by the financial report; 505
(ii) The total amount of expenditures made during 506
the period covered by the financial report; 507
(iii) The cumulative amount of those totals for 508
each measure; 509
(iv) The balance of cash and cash equivalents on 510
hand at the beginning and the end of the period covered by the 511
financial report; 512
(v) The total amount of contributions received 513
during the period covered by the financial report from persons who 514
contributed Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) or less, and the 515
cumulative amount of that total for each measure; 516
(vi) The total amount of contributions received 517
during the period covered by the financial report from persons who 518
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contributed Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) or more, and the 519
cumulative amount of that total for each measure; and 520
(vii) The name and street address of each person 521
from whom a contribution(s) exceeding Two Hundred Dollars 522
($200.00) was received during the period covered by the financial 523
report, together with the amount contributed, the date of receipt, 524
and the cumulative amount contributed by that person for each 525
measure. 526
(c) For an individual person: 527
(i) The total amount of expenditures made during 528
the period covered by the financial report; 529
(ii) The cumulative amount of that total for each 530
measure; and 531
(iii) The name and street address of each person 532
to whom expenditures totaling Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) or 533
more were made, together with the amount of each separate 534
expenditure to each person during the period covered by the 535
financial report and the purpose of the expenditure. 536
(iv) The total amount of contributions received 537
during the period covered by the financial report, the cumulative 538
amount of that total for each measure, and the name and street 539
address of each person who contributed more than Two Hundred 540
Dollars ($200.00) and the amount contributed. 541
SECTION 30. Section 23-17-55, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 542
brought forward as follows: 543
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23-17-55. It is unlawful for any person to distribute or 544
post material in support of or in opposition to a measure within 545
one hundred fifty (150) feet of any entrance to a polling place 546
where the election is held. 547
SECTION 31. Section 23-17-57, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 548
brought forward as follows: 549
23-17-57. (1) It is unlawful for a person to give or offer 550
any consideration to an elector to induce the elector to vote for 551
or against a measure. 552
(2) It is unlawful for a person to give or offer any 553
consideration to an elector to induce the elector to sign or not 554
sign a petition for a measure. 555
(3) It is unlawful for any person that pays or compensates 556
another person for circulating a petition or for obtaining 557
signatures on a petition to base the pay or compensation on the 558
number of petitions circulated or the number of signatures 559
obtained. 560
(4) It is unlawful for any person to solicit signatures on 561
any petition under this chapter within one hundred fifty (150) 562
feet of any polling place on any election day. 563
(5) It is unlawful for any person who circulates or causes 564
to be circulated an initiative petition to obtain or attempt to 565
obtain a person's signature (a) by intentionally misleading such 566
person as to the substance or effect of the petition, or (b) by 567
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intentionally causing such person to be misled as to the substance 568
or effect of the petition. 569
SECTION 32. Section 23-17-59, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 570
brought forward as follows: 571
23-17-59. It is unlawful for a person to interfere with or 572
influence the vote of an elector on a measure by means of 573
violence, threats, intimidation, enforcing the payment of a debt, 574
bringing a suit or criminal prosecution, any threat or action 575
affecting a person's conditions of employment or other corrupt 576
means. 577
SECTION 33. Section 23-17-60, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 578
brought forward as follows: 579
23-17-60. Any person who alleges that his or her signature 580
on an initiative petition was obtained as the result of fraud or 581
coercion, or that the person was intentionally misled as to the 582
substance or effect of the petition, may have his or her signature 583
removed from the initiative petition upon filing an affidavit to 584
such effect with the Secretary of State anytime before the 585
Secretary of State has accepted and filed the petition under 586
Section 23-17-23. 587
SECTION 34. Section 23-17-61, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 588
brought forward as follows: 589
23-17-61. Any violation of Sections 23-17-49 through 590
23-17-59 of this act is punishable by imprisonment in the county 591
jail for not more than one (1) year, or by a fine not to exceed 592
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ST: Ballot initiatives; bring forward code
sections concerning.
One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such fine and 593
imprisonment. 594
SECTION 35. This act shall take effect and be in force from 595
and after July 1, 2026, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2026. 596