§ Miss. Code § 23-15-951(untitled)

Filing of petition; issuance of summons; trial by, and verdict of, jury;
assumption of office.
Except as otherwise provided by Section 23-15-955 or 23-15-961, a person desiring to contest
the election of another person returned as elected to any office within any county, may, within
twenty (20) days after the election, file a petition in the office of the clerk of the circuit court of
the county, setting forth the grounds upon which the election is contested; and the clerk shall
thereupon issue a summons to the party whose election is contested, returnable to the next term
of the court, which summons shall be served as in other cases; and the court shall, at the first
term, cause an issue to be made up and tried by a jury, and the verdict of the jury shall find the
person having the greatest number of legal votes at the election. If the jury shall find against the
person returned elected, the clerk shall issue a certificate thereof; and the person in whose favor
the jury shall find shall be commissioned by the Governor, and shall qualify and enter upon the
duties of his office. Each party shall be allowed ten (10) peremptory challenges, and new trials
shall be granted and costs awarded as in other cases. In case the election of district attorney or
other state district election be contested, the petition may be filed in any county of the district or
in any county of an adjoining district within twenty (20) days after the election, and like
proceedings shall be had thereon as in the case of county officers, and the person found to be
entitled to the office shall qualify as required by law and enter upon the duties of his office.
A person desiring to contest the election of another person returned as elected to any seat in
the Mississippi Legislature shall comply with the provisions of Section 23-15-955. A person
desiring to contest the qualifications of a candidate for nomination in a political party primary
election shall comply with the provisions of Section 23-15-961.