With the passing of the Mississippi Constitution of 1832, the legislature scheduled elections for May instead of November, the typical month for elections prior. This was done to facilitate the transtition from the old constitution to the new one.[2]
Despite Runnels winning the election in May, he was not inaugurated until November because of confusion of when his term began. During this confusion, Governor Scott died in June from cholera, resulting in Charles Lynch, the senate president, to assume office. Once the legislature met in a special session in November, Runnels was inaugurated and he assumed office. Constitutionally, Runnels was supposed to take office in January 1834, causing an irregularity at the end of his two-year term.[2]
^Dublin, Michael J. (2011). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860 : The Official Results by State and County. McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers. p. 129. ISBN9780786453245.