NATCHEZ &045; Bob Haltom wants to know what candidates running for county offices in Tuesday’s primaries plan to do to bring jobs into Adams County.

But for the most part, he doesn’t think candidates have done a good job of spelling out what plans they have &045; or incumbents spelling out what they’ve done to create jobs.

Moreover, he does not think many of his friends and neighbors care.

&uot;Jobs are the main issue, obviously &045; that’s transparent,&uot; Haltom said.

&uot;But I don’t know whether the average person in Adams County pays attention to what’s going on. They’re more interested in fishing, hunting and drinking beer. They don’t pay attention to politics until it affects them directly.&uot;

Could the turnout of voters for Tuesday’s party primaries be destined to bear that out?

As of Friday, 520 absentee ballots had been recorded. By noon Saturday, that number had risen to 630 over-the-counter ballots, with another 280 mailed out.

That’s under the 1,000 ballots estimated before absentee voting started, said personnel at the Adams County Circuit Clerk’s Office.

Usually, the number of absentee ballots received equals about 10 percent of what the total voter turnout will be for an election, said Deputy Circuit Clerk Marge Alexander.

&uot;I expect lower voter participation, but there seem to be a higher number of Republicans voting this time around,&uot; said Circuit Clerk M.L. &uot;Binkey&uot; Vines.

Still, some of those who will vote in Tuesday’s primaries said they do not have much information to go on from the candidates, especially on the issues they care most about.

Paul O’Malley, for example, wants to know what the candidates, especially in the sheriff’s race, would do to address youth problems that include drugs, child abuse and gang involvement.

&uot;What are the candidate’s, who say they’re offering their services as public servants, going to do about social problems that spawn drug problems and the abuse of children?&uot; said O’Malley, who said he has lost two children to drugs.

He also wants to know what sheriff’s candidates would do to improve the relationship between the Natchez Police Department and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

Still, he is skeptical of what such promises will mean in the future. &uot;Once they’re elected and get into office, the planks they run on seem to float away,&uot; O’Malley said.

And Haltom noted that he is in favor of term limits for whoever wins.

Most candidates who have spoken publicly have only given vague promises and mentioned such things as who they are related to or what church they attend, Haltom said.

&uot;Which is nothing,&uot; he said. When it comes to voting Tuesday, he said, most &uot;will vote for someone because he’s a member of their church, or because they live close to them or they know their mother.&uot;