Nov. 3 Election Deadlines Near
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WATER VALLEY — Yalobusha County residents who are not already registered to vote have until Monday, Oct. 5, to register for the Nov. 3 general election.
The Circuit Clerk’s offices at the courthouses in Water Valley and Coffeeville will be open from 8 a.m. until noon Saturday, Oct. 3, for final voter registration before Monday’s deadline.
Circuit Clerk Daryl Burney is also encouraging voters who have moved or are uncertain about their registration to contact his office.
“Give us a call, and we’ll be happy to answer your questions,” Burney said.
Voters may contact the Circuit Clerk’s Office at 662-473-1341 in Water Valley or 662-675-8187 in Coffeeville.
Burney reminded voters that absentee voting is already underway for voters who qualify.
Mississippi does not offer no-excuse early voting. Voters must meet one of the qualifications established under state law to cast an absentee ballot. Those who are uncertain whether they qualify are encouraged to contact the Circuit Clerk’s Office.
Among those who may qualify are voters who will be outside their county on Election Day, certain voters required to work while polls are open, voters age 65 or older and those with qualifying temporary or permanent physical disabilities. Students, teachers and school administrators whose studies or employment require them to be away from their voting residence may also qualify.
The Circuit Clerk’s offices will be open from 8 a.m. until noon Saturday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 31, for absentee voting. The deadline to vote absentee in person is noon Oct. 31.
Yalobusha County has no contested county races on the Nov. 3 ballot. Voters will, however, decide contested federal races and a Chancery Court position. In the U.S. Senate race, Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith faces Democrat Scott Colom and independent Ty Pinkins.
Hyde-Smith has served in the Senate since 2018, when she was appointed to fill the seat previously held by Thad Cochran. She later won a special election and was elected to a full six-year term in 2020.
Colom, of Columbus, is the former district attorney for Mississippi’s 16th Circuit Court District. He was nominated in 2022 for a federal judgeship on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, but the nomination was not confirmed.
Pinkins, an attorney and military veteran from the Mississippi Delta, was the Democratic nominee for secretary of state in 2023 and the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 2024. He is running as an independent this year.
Yalobusha County voters will also choose among three candidates for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District.
Democratic incumbent Bennie G. Thompson faces Republican Ron Eller and independent Bennie Foster.
Thompson, of Bolton, has represented the 2nd District in Congress since winning a special election in 1993. He is the ranking Democratic member of the House Homeland Security Committee and previously served as its chairman.
Eller, of the Jackson area, is a retired Army officer and works in cardiac and thoracic surgery as a physician assistant. He served 20 years in the military and has also operated manufacturing businesses. Eller has previously sought the 2nd District congressional seat.
Foster, a Jackson native, is a longtime educator, administrator and community advocate. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Jackson State University and a master’s degree in education from Strayer University. He is seeking the seat as an independent.
Two contested judicial races also appear on the Yalobusha County ballot.
For Mississippi Court of Appeals District 1, Position 1, incumbent Judge John Weddle faces Derek Dewayne Hopson Jr. The race is nonpartisan.
Weddle joined the Court of Appeals in 2024 after being appointed by Gov. Tate Reeves to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jim Greenlee. Weddle previously served as district attorney for Mississippi’s 1st Circuit Court District and has also served as a public defender and municipal judge.
Hopson is a Clarksdale attorney and University of Mississippi School of Law graduate. He also holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from Delta State University and has practiced in state and federal courts in North Mississippi.
The other contested judicial race is for Chancery Court District 3, Place 1, where Ginger M. Miller faces Jay Westfaul. The race is nonpartisan.
The remaining judicial positions shown on the Yalobusha County sample ballot are uncontested. Sabrina D. Howell is the only listed candidate for Chancery Court District 3, Place 2, and Mitchell M. Lundy Jr. is unopposed for Place 3.
Smith Murphey V is the only listed candidate for Circuit Court District 17, Place 1, while James “Jimmy” McClure is the only listed candidate for Place 2.
Court of Appeals Judge Donna M. Barnes is also the only listed candidate for District 1, Position 2.
The ballot also lists Mitchell Steen for Coffeeville School Board District 5 and Tonya Eubanks for Water Valley School Board District 5, with no opposition.
