Polls open for local runoff votes
Published 6:00 am Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Polls will remain open until 7 p.m. in three area counties wherevoters must decide unfinished races for constable, supervisor orstate Supreme Court justice.
Lincoln County has no runoff election.
In Lawrence County, voters in Districts One and Three and thosewho vote at the Nola, West Monticello, Courthouse and CourthouseSplit 53 precincts are returning to cast their vote for either BradDavis or Tony R. Lambert as Post Two constable.
Voters pared down the list of candidates from six to two Nov. 2in a special election to replace Claude Davis, who died of anillness while in office.
Lawrence County Circuit Clerk Cindy Stokes said early today thatvoter turnout is about what she expected.
“It’s slow,” she said. “We’ve only had a few to come in tovote.”
In Franklin County, voters have to decide between Jerry L.Howell and Sandra Fay Sullivan in a special election for DistrictFour supervisor. The winner will replace Robert Posey, who resignedearlier this year.
Franklin County Circuit Clerk Millie Thornton said she expecteda very poor turnout among voters for the runoff election.
Eddiceton, Lucien and McCall are the only precinctsparticipating in the Nov. 16 election, Thornton said.
Eddiceton voters will cast their ballots beside J&M Stop ‘N’Go on Highway 84, Lucien voters will cast theirs behind LucienBaptist Church on Highway 84 and McCall voters will cast theirs atthe McCall Creek Volunteer Fire Department.
The state Supreme Court race between Justice James Graves Jr.and Samac Richardson for Central District, Position 2 will bepartially decided by voters in Copiah County.
Voter certification and recounts in that race lasted well intolast week, but candidates and election officials prepared as if arunoff election was a certainty.
Copiah County Circuit Clerk Edna Stevens said she doesn’t thinkthere will be any voter confusion.
“I really don’t think so,” she said. “If people want to vote,they’re going to be informed and know there is an election. There’sbeen a lot of media coverage about the election so they would knowif they wanted to.”
As evidence, Stevens cited the 150 absentee ballots her officehad received.
“It compares very well to what we would normally see in a runoffelection,” she said.