NATCHEZ — The Adams County election commissioners are up for re-election.

In all five districts, the only contested district is the third.

Incumbent Evelyn H. Smith is being challenged by Steven Sumpter. Both belong to the Democratic Party.

Election commissioners serve four-year terms and the districts are the same as the county supervisor districts.

Circuit Clerk Eddie Walker said the commissioners are indispensable to him.

“They have been a tremendous benefit to me,” he said.

Walker said he considers himself lucky that he has an election commission that is diligent and knowledgeable.

“These people work hard; they do a great job,” he said. “Their work is immeasurable to me.”

Election Commission Chairman Larry Gardner said commissioners focus on the voter.

“Their main job is voter rolls,” he said.

Where the circuit clerk is the registrar of voters, it’s the commissioners’ job to keep up with the rolls.

Voter information is put into a computer system that places each voter into a precinct, and tabs are kept on voters if they register to vote in other states.

Gardner said the commissioners comb through the Bureau of Vital Statistics to make sure all deceased voters are removed from the rolls.

Gardner said roll maintenance is key in elections and fulfilling the democratic process.

“When you’ve got voter rolls that are overly inflated, it gives a good possibility of voter fraud,” he said.

Similarly, election commissioners are charged with the task of making sure voter fraud does not take place in the instance of convicted felons voting.

Anyone convicted of a felony does not have the right to vote but sometimes felons will falsify voter applications and say they have never been convicted.

Gardner said so far this year he and the commission have removed nine convicted felons from the voter rolls and have sent the paperwork to the district attorney for prosecution.

The commissioners up for re-election are:

District 1 — Catherine J. Meng, Republican

District 2 — Larry Gardner, Republican

District 4 — Katye Mae Dukes, Democrat

District 5, Douglas Mitchel Ballad II, Democrat