Mississippi Code

Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-9 (2026)

Formulation of ballot title and summary of initiative measure

✓ current as of July 2026

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Within seven (7) calendar days after the receipt of an initiative measure, the Attorney General shall formulate and transmit to the Secretary of State a concise statement posed as a question and not to exceed twenty (20) words, bearing the serial number of the measure and a summary of the measure, not to exceed seventy-five (75) words, to follow the statement. The statement shall give a true and impartial statement of the purpose of the measure. Neither the statement nor the summary may intentionally be an argument, nor likely to create prejudice, either for or against the measure. Such concise statement shall constitute the ballot title. The ballot title formulated by the Attorney General shall be the ballot title of the measure unless changed on appeal. When practicable, the question posed by the ballot title shall be written in such a way that an affirmative answer to such question and an affirmative vote on the measure would result in a change in then current law, and a negative answer to the question and a negative vote on the measure would result in no change to then current law.

Laws, 1993, ch. 514, § 5, eff. 8/3/1993 (the date the United States Attorney General interposed no objections under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965).

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 7 cases, 1998–2015 · leading case: Legislature of the State of Mississippi v. Adrian Shipman, 170 So. 3d 1211 (Miss. 2015).

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Legislature of the State of Mississippi v. Adrian Shipman, 170 So. 3d 1211 (Miss. 2015). · cites it 147× “Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-9 (Rev. 2007). At issue is the extent to which Section 23-17-33’s citation of Section 23-17-9 makes the latter section applicable to the titling of amendments to measures suggested by the Legislature.”

Hughes v. Hosemann, 68 So. 3d 1260 (Miss. 2011). · cites it 8× “[15] See Miss.Code Ann. § 23-17-9 (Rev.2007). [16] Article 3, Sections 5 and 6 of the Mississippi Constitution provide, in pertinent part, that: Sec.”

In Re Proposed Initiative Measure No. 20, 774 So. 2d 397 (Miss. 2000). · cites it 10× “20, as required by section 23-17-9 (Supp.1999), and sent it to the Secretary of State.”

Stoner v. Mahoney, 774 So. 2d 397 (Miss. 2000). · cites it 10× “20, as required by section 23-17-9 (Supp .1999), and sent it to the Secretary of State.”

Hoogestraat v. Barnett, 1998 SD 104 (S.D. 1998). “1474; Miss.Code Ann. § 23-17-9; Mo. Rev.Stat. § 116.”

Elizabeth Stoner v. Robert Mahoney (Miss. 1999). · cites it 10× “20, as required by section 23-17-9 (Supp. 1999), and sent it to the Secretary of State.”

Deborah Hughes v. Delbert Hosemann (Miss. 2010). · cites it 4× “15 See Miss. Code Ann. § 23-17-9 (Rev. 2007). 12 to the Legislature so that it may appear on the November 2011 ballot[;]” and also to enjoin the Secretary “from placing [the measure] on the ballot.”

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