Mississippians will have the opportunity to go to the polls March 10 to cast ballots for federal offices – president, one U.S. Senate post and all four U.S. House seats.

Voters must decide when they vote whether they want to participate in the Democratic or Republican primary. They cannot vote in both.

In the November general election, they are not bound by party. They can vote in November for the presidential candidate of one party and the Senate candidate of the other, for instance. But on March 10, when selecting the nominees, they must vote in only one party primary election.

While there will be no runoff in the presidential elections, there will be in the U.S. Senate and congressional primaries if no candidate garners a majority vote. The runoff, if needed, will be March 31.

Mississippi will be one of seven states holding primaries on March 10. One week prior is Super Tuesday when 14 states, plus Americans living abroad and America Samoa will be holding primaries. Voter-rich states California and Texas will be holding primaries on Super Tuesday. Mississippi’s next door neighbors, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama, also will vote on Super Tuesday.

Mississippi’s other contiguous state – Louisiana – will not vote until April 4.

In 2016, 415,627 voted in the Republican presidential primary where Donald Trump garnered 196,659 votes to 150,364 for second place finisher – Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

On the Democratic side, 227,154 voted. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led the field with 187,334 votes compared to 37,748 for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders who is currently the Democratic front-runner.

In 2008, 434,113 people came out to vote in Mississippi’s Democratic primary where Barack Obama defeated Clinton 265,546 to 159,226.

View the complete list of candidates by party below:

View a 2020 Democratic Primary election sample ballot here.

View a 2020 Republican Primary election sample ballot here.


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Bobby Harrison, Mississippi Today’s senior capitol reporter, covers politics, government and the Mississippi State Legislature. He also writes a weekly news analysis which is co-published in newspapers statewide. A native of Laurel, Bobby joined our team June 2018 after working for the North Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo since 1984. He is president of the Mississippi Capitol Press Corps Association and works with the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute to organize press luncheons. Bobby has a bachelor's in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi and has received multiple awards from the Mississippi Press Association, including the Bill Minor Best Investigative/In-depth Reporting and Best Commentary Column.