Timeline
2017 Bay St. Louis City Elections

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January 2

• Qualifying Period Begins:  First day candidates may qualify for municipal office.
  

March 3

• Qualifying Deadline, 5:00 p.m.:  Party primary and independent candidates for municipal office.
• Applications for Absentee Ballots for the Primary Election must be available in the Municipal Clerk’s Office.

March 5, Week of

• Serve BSL volunteers mail out letters inviting all qualifying candidates to participate in free online forum.
  

March 14
Deadline for questions to be submitted by public to be considered as one of the Serve Bay St. Louis forum questions that will be sent to candidates. 

March 19, week of

• Bios and photos of candidates participating in Serve BSL online forum will be posted.  Participating candidates will be emailed a list of questions chosen from those submitted by citizens, selected by Serve BSL volunteers.
  

March 20th
Absentee voting opens for May 2nd Primary Election.  You may vote in the City Clerk's office on the second floor of City Hall, 688 Hwy 90, Bay St. Louis.  It's open from 8am - 5pm weekdays and Saturdays (April 22nd and 29th) from 8am to noon.  You must be registered to vote and bring a photo id (requirements here).  

April 1

• Voter Registration Deadline, 12:00 p.m.: Municipal Clerks’ Offices MUST remain open from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. for voter registration for the Municipal Primary Election and Primary Runoff Elections.
• Mail‐In Registration Applications received by the Municipal Clerks’ Offices must be postmarked no later than Saturday, April 1, 2017 to be eligible to vote in the Municipal Primary and Primary Runoff Elections.

April 12th, Week of

• Answers to questions submitted by participating candidates will be posted on the Serve BSL website. 

April 19th
Live Candidates' Forum
The Hancock County Democratic and Republican Committees will jointly host a forum from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Bay St. Louis Community Center, 301 Blaize Ave.  Moderators from both political parties will ask Democratic and Republican candidates on the May 2 primary ballot questions during the forum.  Independents and unopposed primary candidates can attend to provide information about themselves to the audience.

April 20th
Live Candidates' Forum:
The Hancock County Alliance for Good Government is sponsoring a Candidates Forum on Thursday, April 20, at the Old Town Community Center on Blaize Avenue in the Depot District from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  All candidates for City Council and Mayor are welcome to participate.  For more information or to  sign up to speak, please call: 228-493-4358 or 228-363-9395

April 29

• In‐Person Absentee Voting Deadline, 12:00 p.m.: Municipal Clerks’ Offices MUST remain open from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. for absentee voting in the Primary Election.

May 1

• Voter Registration: Municipal Clerks’ Offices may remain open from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., including the noon hour, for voter registration.
• Absentee ballots returned by mail MUST BE RECEIVED by the Municipal Clerk’s Office no later than 5:00 p.m. This is not a postmark deadline but an actual receipt deadline.

May 2

• Primary Election Day for Municipal Offices.
• UOCAVA Absentee Ballot Deadline, 7:00 p.m.: Absentee ballots returned by UOCAVA voters MUST BE RECEIVED by the Municipal Clerk’s Office no later than 7:00 p.m. on Primary Election Day.

May 6

• Voter Registration Deadline, 12:00 p.m.: Municipal Clerks’ Offices MUST remain open from 8:00a.m. until 12:00 p.m. for voter registration for the Municipal General Election.
  
• Mail‐In Registration Applications received by the Municipal Clerks’ Offices must be postmarked
  no later than Saturday, May 6, 2017 to be eligible to vote in the Municipal General Election.
  

May 13

• In‐Person Absentee Voting Deadline, 12:00 p.m.: Municipal Clerks’ Offices MUST remain open from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. for absentee voting in the Primary Runoff Election.
  

May 15

• Absentee Ballot by Mail Deadline, 5:00 p.m.: Absentee ballotsreturned by mail MUST BE RECEIVED by the Municipal Clerk’s Office no later than 5:00 p.m. This is not a postmark deadline but an actual receipt deadline.
  

May 16

• Primary Runoff Election Day for Municipal Offices.
  
• UOCAVA Absentee Ballot Deadline, 7:00 p.m.: Absentee ballots returned by UOCAVA voters MUST BE RECEIVED by the Municipal Clerk’s Office no later than 7:00 p.m. on Primary Runoff Election Day.

May 24

• Absentee Voting opens for General Election on June 6th

May 27

• CAVA Voter Registration Deadline: Municipal Clerks’ Offices must be in actual receipt of a completed FPCA from a UOCAVA voter to be eligible to vote in the General Election.
  

June 3

• In‐Person Absentee Voting Deadline, 12:00 p.m.: Municipal Clerks’ Offices MUST remain open from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. for absentee voting in the General Election.
  

June 5

• Absentee Ballot by Mail Deadline, 5:00 p.m.: Absentee ballots returned by mail MUST BE RECEIVED by the Municipal Clerk’s Office no later than 5:00 p.m. This is not a postmark deadline but an actual receipt deadline.
  

June 6

• General Election Day:  Polls open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• UOCAVA Absentee Ballot Deadline, 7:00 p.m.: Absentee ballots returned by UOCAVA voters MUST BE RECEIVED by the Municipal Clerks’ Offices no later than 7:00 p.m. on General Election Day.

June 14

• Certification of Municipal General Election Results. Deadline by which Municipal Election Commissioners shall determine each candidate receiving the highest number of votes and transmit to MSOS a statement certifying the name(s) of the persons so elected.
  

July 3

• Municipal Officers’ terms begin.
  

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