The Election Process Phase I

The Election Process Phase I. The Commission will authorize the election to be conducted and will notify the contact person and the district at least seventy-five (75) days before the expiration of the elected commissioner’s term. Brief instructions and the necessary forms will be sent to the district office in order to carry out Phase I of the election process. A. Before the Commission can begin the election process, the district must decide and inform the Commission of their election date. B. After the Commission is informed of the election date, the Commission will publish the Nominating Notice (ELC-1) (Exhibit 1) in a newspaper with district wide coverage, at least sixty (60) days prior to the election date. This will notify the public that the district will be accepting nominating petitions for approximately twenty (20) days. C. The district must send the Nominating Petitions (ELC-3) (Exhibit 3) to the Commission office at least thirty (30) days before the election date. The district needs to fill in the top portion of the Nominating Petition and discuss the agreement on the back of the form with the prospective commissioner. It is extremely important that the prospective commissioner understand that he/she is making a firm commitment to spend the time and effort necessary to carry out the responsibilities as set forth by the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission. The Nominating Petition will not be accepted without the signatures of the nominee and twenty-five (25) or more owners of land lying within the boundaries of the district. Landowners may sign more than one such nominating petition to nominate more than one candidate for commissioner. However, in no event shall a landowner sign more than three (3) such nominating petitions. Not more than one commissioner shall be a resident of any one supervisor's beat, unless there is no person qualified and willing to serve in another beat. If the latter is the case, the district must write a letter to the Commission stating that this is, in fact, the situation. The nominee must be a person who is a landowner and/or operator within the geographical area of the district, and must be qualified to carry out the authority and responsibility of the office. D. The district must notify the Commission of their voting places (at least one per beat) and voting hours in sufficient time for the Commission to publish the Election Notice (ELC-2) (Exhibit 2). The Commission will publish the Election Notice (ELC-2) (Exhibit 2) three (3) times, with an interval of seven (7) days between each publication, in a newspaper with district wide coverage approximately thirty (30) days prior to the election date.