The Mississippi County Election Commission is urging citizens to know who they want to vote for and in what races they want to cast their ballots before coming to the polls for early voting on May 3 and before the May 18 Preferential Primary Election.
Election Commissioners explained, this is a political party primary ,and voters will tell poll workers whether they want to vote a Democratic or Republican ballot. Because it is a party primary, voters will only be voting for the races where their party has a candidate. Locally there is only one race with a republican candidate and that candidate is unopposed and will be listed as unopposed.
"If you vote in the Republican primary you are not going to get to vote for county judge because there is not a Republican candidate in the County Judge's race," Tom Wiktorek, election commissioner explained. "You are choosing the primary you want to vote in and there are no crossovers allowed by state law."
Election Commissioners explained that in the May primary if a voter wants to vote for a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate or U.S. Congress they will not be able to vote in the County Judge's race or any other race with a Democratic candidate. At the time of the General Election in November when the candidates have been narrowed down to who will be representing each party voters will be able to vote for whoever and whatever they want but the primary election's purpose is to narrow down the candidates in each party to see who will be on the ballot in November.
"If you vote in the Democratic primary and a run-off occurs you can vote in that run-off only," George Hale explained. That is why Election Commissioners are asking voters to be sure of the party and races they want to vote for in the Primary Election.
The Commission went on to say that just because a voter chooses to cast their ballot in the Democratic Primary in May does not mean they will have to vote Democratic in November and the same goes with voting in the Republican Primary.
czolman@blythevillecourier.comVoters urged to think in advance