Senate Bill 2929

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-1093, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT MUST FILE A COPY OF HIS OR HER STATE AND FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURNS ALONG WITH CERTAIN OTHER QUALIFYING PAPERWORK TO HAVE HIS OR HER NAME PLACED ON THE PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE BALLOT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 23-15-1093, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

23-15-1093. (1) Any person desiring to have his name placed on the presidential preference primary ballot shall pay a qualifying fee and file the petition or petitions and the documents as described in this section.

(2) The amount of the qualifying fee shall be Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00). Each independent candidate shall pay the qualifying fee to the Secretary of State. Each political party candidate shall pay the qualifying fee to the state executive committee of the appropriate political party.

(3) A candidate shall file a petition or petitions in support of his candidacy with the state executive committee of the appropriate political party or the Secretary of State, whichever is applicable, after January 1 of the year in which the presidential preference primary is to be held and before January 15 of that same year. To comply with this section, a candidate may file a petition or petitions signed by a total of not less than five hundred (500) qualified electors of the state, or petitions signed by not less than one hundred (100) qualified electors of each congressional district of the state, in which case there shall be a separate petition for each congressional district. The petitions shall be in such form as prescribed by the state executive committee or Secretary of State, whichever is applicable; provided, that there shall be a space for the county of residence of each signer next to the space provided for his signature. No signature may be counted as valid unless the county of residence of the signer is provided. Each petition shall contain an affirmation under the penalties of perjury that each signer is a qualified elector in his congressional district or in the state, as appropriate.

(4) A candidate shall also file a copy of his or her state and federal income tax returns for the year preceding the year in which the presidential preference primary is to be held with the state executive committee of the appropriate political party or the Secretary of State, whichever is applicable. To comply with this subsection, a candidate must file the applicable income tax returns along with the petition or petitions in support of his or her candidacy after January 1 of the year in which the presidential preference primary is to be held and before January 15 of that same year.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2019.