Wednesday evening was the qualifying deadline for candidates seeking the Ward 2 seat on the Meridian City Council.  

Tyrone Johnson held the seat until he was ousted on Feb. 21 after fellow council members determined he didn’t live in his ward. The special election for the seat is April 14.

Paperwork and a petition signed by 50 qualified voters are required to run, according to City Clerk Brandye Latimer. 

An unofficial opinion from the Mississippi Attorney General’s office says candidates must have lived in Meridian a minimum of two years and be a registered voter in Ward 2, Latimer said.

Latimer said that by Wednesday morning, three people had turned in paperwork, but petition signatures would need to be verified. 

While it is not yet clear who met the 5 p.m. deadline, Scott Bancroft and Dwayne Davis both confirmed plans to run to The Meridian Star Wednesday. 

Bancroft owns Safeguard Dement Printing downtown. 

Davis, who owns three daycares, ran for Lauderdale County Supervisor District 1 in November and was defeated by incumbent Jonathan Wells.