Preparing For Mississippi Primaries

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Statewide primaries being held Tuesday in Mississippi:

– GOVERNOR: First-term Republican incumbent Phil Bryant faces Mitch Young, a Navy veteran. Three candidates are in the Democratic primary: Robert Gray, a Jackson truck driver; Dr. Valerie Adream Smartt Short of Ridgeland, an obstetrician-gynecologist and military veteran; and Vicki Slater of Madison, an attorney.

– LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: First-term Republican incumbent Tate Reeves faces Alisha Nelson McElhenney, who lives in Moss Point and teaches in Alabama. Two candidates are running in the Democratic primary: Jelani Barr, a Greenwood bookkeeper; and Tim Johnson of Madison, who served as a Republican state senator from 1996 to 2004 and switched to the Democratic Party this year to run for lieutenant governor.

– TREASURER: First-term Republican incumbent Lynn Fitch is challenged by David McRae, a Ridgeland attorney.

– AUDITOR: Second-term Republican incumbent Stacey Pickering is challenged by longtime Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler.

– INSURANCE COMMISSIONER: Second-term Republican incumbent Mike Chaney is challenged by body shop owner John Mosley of Clinton.

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Regional primaries:

– PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER, CENTRAL DISTRICT: Brent Bailey of Canton and Tony Greer of Clinton compete in the Republican primary. Cecil Brown of Jackson and Bruce Wilder Burton compete in the Democratic primary.

– PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER, SOUTHERN DISTRICT: Sam Britton of Laurel, Mike Collier of Hattiesburg and Tony Smith of Picayune compete in the Republican primary.

– TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER, NORTHERN DISTRICT: Jimmie D. Mills of Tupelo faces incumbent Mike Tagert, who has held the post since a February 2011 special election.

– TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER, CENTRAL DISTRICT: Robert Amos of Jackson, Mary Coleman of Jackson and Natasha Magee-Woods of Madison compete in the Democratic primary.

***Press release from Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann***

Voting begins TOMORROW (Tuesday, August 4, 2015) for the 2015 Primary Election. We encourage all Mississippians to head to the polls to cast a ballot in the upcoming election.

It is has come to our attention several anonymous campaign mailers have been sent statewide. These mailers are not only gutless, but illegal. This type of politics denigrates the entire voting process, promotes voter apathy and discourages future candidates. We believe in the right to free speech, but we also believe in the right to recourse. We encourage Mississippians to consider their source of information when choosing a candidate and rely on credible resources.

Primary Elections are run by the parties. Meaning, on Election Day, voters must choose to cast a ballot in the Democratic Primary and the Republican Primary. We have received several calls from individuals who want to vote only in particular races on a party ballot. Only the races in which a vote is cast will be counted. Voter “drop-off” does not void a ballot and choosing to vote only in particular races does not void a ballot.

Some tips for Election Day:

· Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

· Don’t forget your photo ID: A list of acceptable forms of photo ID are available at the following link: www.MSVoterID.ms.gov.

· Vote at off-peak times: Vote mid-morning and mid-afternoon when voting is slower.

Review your ballot before you vote: Sample ballots are posted in each precinct. Sample ballots are also available on the Secretary of State’s website through the polling locator.
Know where you vote: A polling place locator is available on the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.ms.gov/pollingplace.
Attire: It is against the law for any candidate or candidate’s representative to distribute campaign literature within 150 feet of a polling location. It is the position of the Office of the Secretary of State that wearing clothing with a candidate’s name and/or picture on it or other campaign paraphernalia within 150 feet of a polling location constitutes the posting of campaign literature and is prohibited.
· No loitering: The polling place should be clear 30 feet of all people except elections officials, voters waiting to vote or pollwatchers.

For more information on voting in Mississippi, please visit our website at www.sos.ms.gov or contact our Elections hotline, toll-free at 1-800-829-6786.