Courthouses Open Next Two Saturdays For Absentee Voting
The circuit clerk’s offices in the Water Valley and Coffeeville courthouses will be open the next two Saturdays, Oct. 28 and Nov. 4, from 8 a.m. until noon for absentee voting in the Nov. 7 General Election. In Mississippi, registered voters are eligible to vote absentee based on age, health or work demands, or their affiliation with the U.S. Armed Forces. For example, voters who will be outside the county on election day are entitled to vote by absentee ballot.
Circuit Clerk Daryl Burney provided details about the General Election ballot. Candidates affiliated with a party are listed in alphabetical order, with independent candidates listed last in accordance with state law. An example, in the sheriff’s race Republican candidate Roger L. Pollan is listed on the ballot before independent candidate Jerimaine Gooch.
The November General Election ballot includes a record number of independent candidates seeking office in Yalobusha County. Independent candidates who are unopposed include Burney, who is seeking another term for circuit clerk; incumbent Coroner Ronnie Stark; incumbent District 1 Supervisor Cayce Washington; incumbent District 3 Supervisor Kenneth Harmon; incumbent District Two Constable Randy Simmons; incumbent District One Justice Court Clerk Janet Ross Caulder; and incumbent District Two Justice Court Judge Trent Howell.
In contested races, both candidates running for tax assessor/collector, Michael Loyd Walton and Brad Willingham, are running as independent candidates. Donald Gray is running as an independent and will face Democratic challenger Terry Rockette. Incumbent Democratic District One Constable Ralph Horton will face independent candidate J. Caleb Horton along with the final contested race for sheriff with Gooch and Pollan on the ballot.
Four years ago, in November, 2019, there were four independent candidates seeking office. Trent Howell won his first term as Justice Court Judge and Mark Fulco was elected sheriff. Lezelrick Hodges ran unsuccessfully for coroner as an independent and Baine Turnage ran unsuccessfully as an independent for tax assessor/collector.
