Polls open Thursday for election
Polls will be open around the county Thursday as election organizers hope high early voting numbers will continue on election day.
“The numbers of early voters were actually higher than expected this election,” said Election Administrator Donna Yates, noting 1,453 participated in early voting which ended Saturday. “We hope there’ll also be a good turnout Thursday.”
Aside from state and federal primaries, the election has only one race of county-wide import, that being the race for property assessor where Democrat Carolyn Miller is being opposed for a fourth term by Independent 5th District Commissioner Michael Martin and Republican Gerry Riley.
Also to be determined is who will serve in the 5th District along with Martin as interim 5th District Commissioner Bill Yancy is facing opposition from Republican Jack M. Holland. The seat was opened by the retirement last year of Commissioner Dennis Waggoner.
The only other local offices are three school board positions in which all three candidates are running unopposed. Edd Cantrell will be re-elected to the 2nd district, Bob Young to the 4th district and newcomer John Luther Turner will take the place of David Sneed in the 6th district.
As for the primaries, there is a three-way race for the Republican nomination for the 4th U.S. Congressional seat presently held by Democrat Lincoln Davis. The remainder of the primaries for the offices of 14th District State Senator, 43rd and 47th State House are uncontested.
Voters will also be voting on whether to retain two state court judges, those being Frank Clement Jr. and Sharon Lee.
Polls will be open at all 21 precincts from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.