Shelby County overrode the mayor’s veto, forcing a 2026 school board election and shortening terms for five 2024-elected members.

The Shelby County Commission overrode Mayor Lee Harris’s veto, forcing a 2026 election for all nine Memphis-Shelby County Schools board seats, shortening terms for five members elected in 2024. The move aligns school board elections with county commissioner races and allows for future recalls. Harris opposed the change, arguing terms shouldn’t be cut except in emergencies or due to misconduct. The 2026 election will include partisan primaries, with candidates filing by February 19 and a May 5 primary. Legal challenges to the term reductions may arise.