HB 1585 Mississippi House · 2025 Regular Session

Municipal general elections; require a run off election if no candidate receives a majority.

HB 1585 would require city or town elections for mayor and council members in Mississippi to hold a runoff election three weeks after the initial vote if no candidate receives more than half the votes. The runoff would feature the top two candidates from the first election, or in case of a tie for second place, the top candidate plus the next highest vote-getter. If the runoff results in a tie, the winner would be decided by a coin toss or random draw. This bill applies to all municipal elections across Mississippi and aims to ensure elected officials have majority support.

Bill status died 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

House Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 14, 2025 Last action Mar 4, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

As Introduced → Current version · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to clarify tie-breaking procedures for municipal elections, add a requirement for a friend of each candidate during coin toss tie-breakers, and include an effective date provision that creates a conflict (effective July 1, 2025, but repealed June 30, 2025). The core election procedures remain substantially unchanged.

Scope change

No change to the bill's scope or applicability; the bill still applies to municipal elections in Mississippi.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that coin toss tie-breakers must include 'the aid of a friend of each such candidate' during the drawing of lots.

Changed tie-breaking language from 'under the direction of the election commissioners' to 'under the direction of the election commissioners, with the aid of a friend of each such candidates'.

TIMELINE

Added Section 3 establishing an effective date of July 1, 2025, and a repeal date of June 30, 2025, which creates a logical contradiction as the bill would be repealed before it takes effect.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting and spacing changes throughout the document, including removal of page headers and footers from the original version.

Floor votes · House Feb 11, 2025

How they voted

95–13

Passed · 11 other

Total votes 119

Feb 11, 2025

D Democratic39

23 Yea 12 Nay 4

58% Yea

I Independent2

1 Yea 1

50% Yea

R Republican78

71 Yea 1 Nay 6

91% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Referred To Elections

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Introduced

Transmitted To Senate

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed As Amended

lower

Feb 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

Amended

lower

Jan 30, 2025

Lower · Passed

Title Suff Do Pass

lower

Jan 20, 2025

Committee

Referred To Apportionment and Elections

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors