Judicial elections in this state are governed by the Mississippi Election
Code, § 23–15–1, et seq. Primary judicial elections are governed by § 9–9–7 and §§ 23–15–845, –847, –971, –974, and –1013. Pursuant to these statutes, the judicial primaries were scheduled for June 7, 1994. Seeking to redistrict judicial offices under constitutional mandate and add additional judges to the court of appeals, the 1994 Legislature passed House Bill 1809. In addition to increasing the number of judges statewide, the Bill provides that all judicial elections in this state will be nonpartisan; it also repeals the previously cited statutes, which provide for political party nominations and primary elections.
See H.B. 1809 §§ 76–87, 102. The Bill was signed by Governor Fordice and submitted to the United States Attorney General for preclearance pursuant to § 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965,
42 U.S.C. § 1973c, as amended and extended. The United States Attorney General had taken no action regarding H.B. 1809 as of May 31, 1994, the date on which this Court issued its Order in this matter.