The Clarksdale Municipal Democratic Committee has denied Mayoral candidate Scotty Meredith a spot on the ballot and Meredith has filed suit in Coahoma County Circuit Court this week seeking to remain in the race.
Incumbent Mayor Chuck Espy brought a petition to the city Democratic Executive Committee challenging the residency of Meredith. The hearing was held Tuesday afternoon Feb. 16 with the executive committee ruling Meredith had not lived in the city limits of Clarksdale for two year.
A new opinion by the Mississippi Attorney General just two days before the final qualifying day Feb. 5 expanded the scope of the state law saying a candidate must live in the ward in which they are seeking office.
“Mr. Meredith is appealing the Democratic Executive Committee’s decision not to place his name on the ballot in the April 6, 2021 Mayoral race primary,” said Jamie F. Lee, a New Orleans attorney with the firm Jacks, Griffith, Luciano, specializing in election law. “Following the qualifying deadline, fellow mayoral candidate Chuck Espy challenged Meredith’s Clarksdale residency.
“After a hearing, the DEC determined Mr. Meredith had not proven he was a Clarksdale resident,” said Lee. “Mr. Meredith is appealing that decision in circuit court.”
Espy and Meredith are both running as Democrats. Cassandra Wilson is running as an Independent. Throwing Meredith out of the race would make Espy, a heavy favorite to win his second term as Clarksdale’s Mayor.
At the heart of the issue is where Meredith lives. Meredith says he has lived in Clarksdale for two years. Espy claims he has lived in the county but not in the city limits.
Papers and even a copy of Meredith’s Mississippi Driver’s License were presented to the City Democratic Committee.
The Clarksdale Municipal Democratic Committee is made up of:
Gregory Neely, Ward 1.
Alfred Allen, Ward 2.
Rena Butler, Ward 3.
Sherley Fields, Ward 4.
“I am a candidate for Mayor,” said Meredith. “I am actively campaigning for the office.”
Contesting residency is not new to Clarksdale and accusations of exactly where a candidate “stays” were part of the 2017 campaign when Ward 4 Commissioner Ed Seals challenged the residency of Darron “Gucci” Griffin.
“A special judge has already been appointed to hear the case, which is fast tracked,” said Lee. “It is Mr. Meredith’s sincere hope that the Court will find what Mr. Meredith and many others already know to be true, that he is a resident of Clarksdale and qualified to run for Mayor.”
The court has ruled that “a person’s domicile in election matters is the place where he has his true, fixed, permanent home and principal establishment, and to which whenever he is absent, he has intention of returning.”
Homestead exemption, utility bills, where they park their vehicle at night and the statement of neighbors can be used to establish residency.
The suit filed by Meredith was followed by the court's direction to the city not to print ballots until the immediate issue is resolved. City Clerk Cathy Clark had planned to send ballot to the printer on Monday.
City Elections
All four city commissioners’ posts and the Mayor’s office are up for election and qualifying opened Jan. 4 and closed at 5 p.m. sharp, on Friday, Feb. 5. Primary elections, which are traditionally held in June, will be Tuesday, April 6 this year with the primary runoff, if needed, April 27. The General Election will be held Tuesday, June 8.
This spring’s Clarksdale Municipal Election will be conducted by the city. This year absentee and affidavit ballots will be counted up to five days after the election and the election will be certified at that time.
The Mayor of Clarksdale is paid $86,421 a year, plus expenses. Commissioners get $26,650 annually, plus expenses.
To run for a City of Clarksdale office, the candidate must be a qualified voter and not have been convicted of certain crimes or misdemeanors.
Election law
State law says anyone who seeks to influence the vote of any person by absentee ballot or offers anything of value for a vote, or destroys absentee ballots can be charged with voter fraud and upon conviction be fined not less than $500 and not more than $5,000 and be sentenced from one to five years in the state penitentiary, or both. The statute also includes those who offer to submit a ballot for something of value.
Questions or concerns about voting issues, policy and procedure for any election should be directed to the Secretary of State’s office at (601) 359-1350.
Questions or concerns about candidate qualifications, ethics and conduct while in office should be directed to the Attorney General’s Public Integrity Division at (601) 359-4258.
Qualifications vary from office to office but the main requirements are to be a resident and qualified voter from the ward, district or county they plan to represent. Candidates may not have been convicted of a federal crime or certain Mississippi crimes defined as felonies punishable by incarceration in a state penitentiary, unless they have received a full pardon. They also may not be convicted of a crime in another state that is considered a felony under Mississippi law.
Candidates cannot have been legally declared mentally incompetent.
Candidates must fill out a statement of economic interest online within 15 days of qualifying with the Secretary of State and routinely throughout the year. The next campaign finance report deadlines are March 30, April 20, and June 1 for any contribution over $200. Failure to file these reports can result in fines and possible removal from office.
For additional voter information, visit yallvote.ms.
