How Judges Are Chosen in Mississippi

Mississippi Supreme Court justices are chosen in nonpartisan elections to 8-year terms — no party labels on the ballot — and must run again to keep their seats.

• Seats: 9 justices on the Mississippi Supreme Court.
• Term: 8 years.
• To serve again: Run for re-election.
• Districts: justices are elected from regions of the state, not statewide.
• Other courts: Nearly all courts use nonpartisan elections; justice courts are partisan.

Justices are elected from three districts, three seats each, with no primary.

Compare every state on the judicial selection table.

No Mississippi Supreme Court seat is up in 2026. Seats come up on a staggered schedule, so the next race comes in a later year.

Other judges can still be on your ballot. Nearly all courts use nonpartisan elections; justice courts are partisan. Check your sample ballot for every judicial race where you live.

• Your sample ballot: Mississippi’s official election site shows every judicial race on your ballot, including local courts.
• Deadlines and voting options: How to vote in Mississippi — registration, early voting, mail ballots and poll hours.
• Candidate details: Ballotpedia tracks each candidate’s background, endorsements and spending; local news and the state bar often publish candidate surveys.

Judicial ethics rules bar candidates from promising how they will rule, so a judge’s record and experience usually say more than campaign ads. This site does not endorse or rate candidates.

Mississippi’s senators: Roger Wicker (Republican) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican).