2024 is an election year; however, most people are most often focused on presidential candidates when they go to the ballot box in November. Mississippi will vote for its Senators who represent the Magnolia State in Washington as Congressional representatives. While Cindy Hyde-Smith (Senator) and Michael Guest (3rd Congressional District – MS) are running unopposed, Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) will face off against Democratic challenger Ty Pinkins. Local elections for many offices – county supervisors, court clerks, county sheriff – were held in 2023, but there are some local offices that will be on the ballot in Winston County this November. The Election Commission will see three of its five members running for reelection. In District One, Traci McCully is looking to keep her seat, as is Dean Miller in District Three. In District Five, Judy Lovorn, was appointed by the Board of Supervisors when former District Five Commissioner Betty Haggard retired. Traci McCully has a wealth of experience with the election process; she was a poll manager in District I (Fairground) for over a decade when she was appointed to take Shawn Butts’ seat on the Election Commission. Dean Miller is well-known in the community through her work with the Election Commission. She is not only District Three’s representative, but she is also the chairperson for the commission. Judy Lovorn of District Five has also worked on the resolution board and is highly familiar with the election process. Each of the election commissioners running are unopposed, and the deadline to qualify has passed. In January, the school board will be voting on one district seat – District Two, currently held by Robert “Bert” Jones. According to the Circuit Clerk’s office, following the guidelines of the Secretary of State, anyone wishing to qualify to run for an office should obtain a fifty-signature petition (these signatures may ONLY be of those who are qualified voters in that district). They are also required to pay $100 to the Circuit Clerk’s office. This money then goes to the political party of the candidate (Democratic or Republican; an Independent candidate is under a different circumstance).
