Voters will head to the polls Tuesday, June 5, for party primary elections.
Voters will select their choice for party nominees for two congressional seats.
Winston County polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. The two races included on the primary election ballot will be for U.S. House of Representatives Congressional District 1 for Winston County and U.S. Senate.
Democratic candidates for the Senate post are state Rep. David Baria of Bay St. Louis, Jensen Bohren of Madison, Jerone Garland of Kosciusko, Victor G. Maurice Jr. of Gulfport, state Rep. Omeria Scott of Laurel and Howard Sherman of Meridian.
Republicans will have a choice of Diamondhead businessman Richard Warren Boyanton and incumbent Roger F. Wicker of Tupelo.
If no Democrat wins a majority, the top two vote-getters advance to a June 26 runoff, with the general election set for Nov. 6.
For U.S. House, Randy Mack Wadkins of Oxford is unopposed on the Democratic ballot and incumbent Trent Kelly is unopposed on the Republican ballot.
Absentee ballots are available for voters in the Winston County Circuit Clerk’s Office The office is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and from 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, which is the last day for in-office voting before the primary election.
State law requires that voters shows an identification that includes a photograph before they can cast their ballot. The deadline to register to vote in the primary election was May 7.
HAVA funds
The state of Mississippi is slated to receive about $4.5 million in federal Help America Vote Act funds in the next several months, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann announced Thursday.
The state match for the HAVA grant is 5 percent, or $224,117, and will be met through existing state funds.
“The sum allocated to voting and elections will help our counties facilitate upgrades to voting machines and other improvements at precincts,” Hosemann said. “I am also asking every local election official to ensure every polling place is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Since April, the state has been working with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the federal agency overseeing distribution, to facilitate transfer of the HAVA funds. The state will use part of the funds to continue efforts to secure the Statewide Elections Management System. Counties will be allocated available funds based on voting age population.
Local election officials — who run elections in Mississippi — will decide how best to employ money received. They will then submit expenditures to the Secretary of State’s Office, which will reimburse counties for approved expenses.
Expenditures are limited to items and activities that will improve elections, including the purchase of new voting machines or voting equipment, training for post-election procedures, cybersecurity audits, enhancement of a county’s network and disability access at precincts.
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