The 2023 General Election is less than two weeks away, and absentee voting is open daily, Monday-Friday, at the Circuit Clerk’s office. The office is open 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. each weekday, and will be open 8 a.m. until noon on the two Saturdays prior to the Nov. 7 election — Oct. 28 and Nov. 4.

As of Thursday morning, 103 people had answered a Daily Leader poll asking if they plan to vote. Fourteen answered that they had already voted, or planned to vote absentee, and 81 answered that they planned to vote on Nov. 7. Three said they would not vote because they were not registered. Five said they were registered voters, but did not intend to cast a ballot in the General Election.

The November ballot has 31 offices listed on it. Thirteen are state-level offices, such as governor, attorney general, and insurance commissioner. The rest are for the Lincoln County area.

Who’s running at the state level?

Three candidates are on the ballot for governor this year — incumbent Republican Tate Reeves, Democrat challenger Brandon Presley, and independent candidate Gwendolyn Gray. Gray recently withdrew from the race, but after the deadline for names to be added or removed from the ballot. This means a candidate who is not running for the office may still gain enough votes to force a runoff between Reeves and Presley.

Republican Delbert Hosemann is running to keep his seat at lieutenant governor, against Democrat challenger D. Ryan Grover.

Four incumbent candidates are running unopposed, and will keep their positions — Republican Nelson Wayne Carr as Public Service Commissioner, Southern District; Sen. Jason Barrett (R-D39); and Representatives Vince Mangold (D53) and Becky Currie (D92).

The other state-level offices and candidates on the ballot are:

• Secretary of State — Republican Michael Watson, incumbent, and Democrat Ty Pinkins

• Attorney General — Republican incumbent Lynn Fitch and Democrat Greta Kemp Martin

• State Auditor — Incumbent Republican Shad White and Democrat Larry Bradford

• State Treasurer — Incumbent Republican David McRae and Democrat Addie L. Green

• Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce — Republican incumbent Andy Gipson and Democrat Robert “Brad” Bradford Sr.

• Commissioner of Insurance — Incumbent Republican Mike Chaney and Democrat Bruce Burton

• Transportation Commissioner, Southern District — Republican Charles Busby and Independent Steven Brian Griffin

Who’s running locally?

Four candidates are in the running for Lincoln County Sheriff. Incumbent Republican Steve Rushing won the Primary Election, and now faces three independent challengers. They are Leslie Falvey, Willie J. “Meeka” Gayten Sr., and Henry G. “Bub” Simmons Jr. This is the only local race where a runoff is possible.

Ten of the Lincoln County offices are now unopposed, even if they did not start off that way, having been decided in the Primary Election. Unopposed offices and candidates are: Chancery Clerk incumbent Alisha McGehee (R), Circuit Clerk incumbent Dustin R. Bairfield (R), County Surveyor incumbent Joe W. Byrd (R), Tax Assessor and Collector incumbent Blake Pickering (R), District 2 Supervisor Keith Lewis (R), District 4 Supervisor Eli Ferguson (R), District 5 Supervisor incumbent Doug Falvey (R), District 2 Election Commissioner incumbent Janie Hart Haley (R), District 4 Election Commissioner Denise White (R), Post 1 Justice Court Judge incumbent Ian Smith (R), and Post 1 Constable Justin Case (R).

The other local offices and candidates are:

• District Attorney D14 — Republican Brendon Adams and Democrat Patrick Earl Beasley

• County Coroner — Republican Blake William Wallace and independent Sherry Bowman Bessonette

• District 1 Supervisor — Democrat incumbent Jerry L. Wilson and Republican Donnie “Speedy” Hedgepeth

• District 3 Supervisor — Republican John David Hart and independent Jason McDonald

• Justice Court Judge Post 2 — Incumbent Republican Roger Martin and Democrat Shane Banks

• Constable Post 2 — Democrat Michael C. Harvey and Republican Wade Hinshaw

Polling

Polls will be open Tuesday, Nov. 7, for the General Election from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Anyone who has moved or is unsure of their polling place should contact the Circuit Clerk’s Office at 601-835-3435.

If needed, the General Election Runoff will be Tuesday, Nov. 28, when polls will once again be open 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Absentee voting for the Runoff will conclude at noon, Saturday, Nov. 25.