Senate Bill 2422

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 23-15-913, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO SPECIFY WHICH JUDGES HAVE JURISDICTION TO HEAR ELECTION DISPUTES ON ELECTION DAY; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 23-15-913, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

23-15-913. The judges listed and selected to hear election disputes, as provided in Section 23-15-951, shall be available on election day to immediately hear and resolve any election day disputes. The list of judges selected to hear election day disputes shall be provided to the Secretary of State, chancery clerks and circuit clerks by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court no later than seven (7) days before the election in which the selected judges are to hear election day disputes. The rules for filing pleadings shall be relaxed to carry out the purposes of this section. The judges selected shall perform no other judicial duties on election day. The Supreme Court shall make judges available to hear disputes in the county in which the disputes occur but no judge shall hear disputes in the district or county in which he or she was elected nor shall any judge hear any dispute in which any potential conflict may arise. Each judge shall be fair and impartial and shall be assigned on that basis. The listed and selected judges provided by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court shall have sole jurisdiction to hear election day disputes.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.