With candidates turning in their papers just hours before Thursday’s deadline to qualify, this is looking to be one of the largest county elections in a long time, Election Commissioner Chairman Larry Gardner said.

With five candidates for circuit clerk, four running for tax collector and up to six vying for a supervisor’s spot, it will likely be a tough race, he said.

“That’s a lot of people,” Gardner said Thursday. “I don’t know if we’ve ever had a county race with as many candidates. The total number of candidates running is the highest I’ve seen in all the years I’ve been involved in elections, since 1978.”

Often, if an incumbent who has had the job for years continues to run, no one will run against him, Gardner said.

Thursday’s qualifications were a nice surprise in that aspect.

The crowded race will likely double the chances of runoffs, which means more elections, he said.

“The county’s really going to have to fork out a lot of money” to pay election workers and buying equipment for the machines, Gardner said.

But if a larger pool of candidates gets people excited about voting, it’s worth it, he said.

“What it should mean for us is getting more voter interest with a greater chance of higher voter turnout,” he said. “If you have a higher voter turnout, you have a real true representation of the community.”

Gardner said he was looking forward to the coming months of campaigning and elections.

“I’d say it’s going to be a good season for elections,” he said. “I always like it when we have a lot of candidates, or at least some controversy. It gets people talking about the issues, and it gets people to the polls. That’s what makes elections fun and exciting.”

There’s nothing worse than opening polls and having five percent of the eligible voting population show up, he said.

In recent elections earlier this year, very few people voted — no local races were on the ballot.

But the high county qualifying numbers look good to Gardner.

“I think this will be a good year for elections,” Gardner said. “This is fantastic. This is going to get people out to vote.”

General county elections are scheduled to be held Nov. 6.

Candidates qualified for Adams County elections on Aug. 7, 28 and Nov. 6

Sheriff:

Ronny Brown (D)

Charles E. Woods (D)

Chancery clerk:

Tommy O’Beirne (D)

Circuit clerk:

M.L. “Binkey” Vines (D)

Wilbur O. Johnson Sr. (D)

Donnie Holloway (D)

Eddie Walker (D)

Billy Ray McDaniel (I)

Tax assessor:

Reynolds Atkins Sr. (D)

Jerry Lyles (D)

Tax collector:

Vernona Sanders (D) (Withdrew)

Peter Burns Jr. (D)

Glenn Etheridge (D)

Ken Whittington (D)

Rose Daniel Johnson (D)

County attorney:

J. Barrett Martin (D)

Coroner:

James E. Lee (D)

Tonja D. Butler (D)

Jonathan T. Hargrave (D)

Zefer Young (D)

Supervisor District 1:

Sammy Cauthen (R)

Charles M. Lazarus (D)

Michael R. Smith (D)

Paul Brooks (R)

Audley Carter (D)

Clarence Love (D)

Supervisor District 2:

Henry Watts (D)

George Souderes Jr. (D)

Joe Eidt (R)

Supervisor District 3:

Thomas “Boo” Campbell (D)

Raythell P. Smith (D)

Luther “Brad” Bradford (D)

Britton J. Gibson (D)

Leroy Sessions III (D)

Supervisor District 4:

Darryl Grennell (D)

James Gavette (D)

Paul N. Leake (D)

Anthony McCranie (D)

Supervisor District 5:

S.E. “Spanky” Felter (D)

Ronald Eugene Allbritton (D)

James Berry Jr. (D)

Jessie R. Turner (D)

Justice Court Judge, Northern District:

Audrey Minor Bailey (D)

Patricia F. Dunmore (D)

Justice Court Judge, Southern District:

Charles Vess (D)

Luther Jackson Lazarus (D)

Danny R. Barber (D)

Constable, Northern District

Ray Brown (D)

Constable, Southern District:

Randall Lee Freeman (D)

Candidates qualified for other elections:

State House:

James “Ricky” Gray (D)

Robert L. Johnson III (D)

State Senate:

Bob M. Dearing (D)

District Attorney:

Ronnie L. Harper (D)