Back to the polls: Voters will decide county court judge race

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Adams County Circuit Clerk Chief Deputy Dianne White pulls the absentee ballots for the Oakland precinct in preparation for Tuesday’s runoff election. The office received 448 absentee ballots, which were about approximately 10 percent less than the general election.  (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

Adams County Circuit Clerk Chief Deputy Dianne White pulls the absentee ballots for the Oakland precinct in preparation for Tuesday’s runoff election. The office received 448 absentee ballots, which were about approximately 10 percent less than the general election. (Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat)

NATCHEZ — Election officials anticipate four-out-of-10 registered Adams County voters will turn out for the county court judge’s election today.

On the ballot today are candidates Walt Brown and Patricia Dunmore, the two candidates who garnered the most votes from the Nov. 4 election that had a field of six contenders.

In that election, 8,709 of the county’s 20,026 voters cast ballots — 43.9 percent.

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“Runoffs typically don’t bring out big crowds, and on absentee ballots the numbers are down about 10 percent,” Election Commission Chairman Larry Gardner said. “I think it is going to be a little less again than the last one, approximately 40 percent.”

Adams County Circuit Clerk Eddie Walker said as of Monday afternoon his office received 448 absentee ballots.

Based on those numbers, Walker said he anticipates between 35 and 38 percent in-person participation at the polls.

“Everything is running extremely smooth with no issues,” Walker said. “I don’t anticipate any problems for the election, and I think everything will run real smooth.”

Gardner said one factor to consider about absentee ballots, however, is a number of college students will be coming home for the Thanksgiving holidays and might have decided to cast a ballot in person.

“I am hoping (the students) do turn out,” he said.

At the Nov. 4 election, Dunmore led the field with approximately 36.6 percent of the vote, while Brown followed with 30 percent.

Assuming all of the Nov. 4 voters turn out today, the candidates have approximately 2,900 votes that went to other candidates to capture.

Dunmore will need 1,169 additional votes to win, while Brown will need 1,691 more votes to prevail.

The 19 voting locations for Adams County voters open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. today.

The locations by district are as follows:

District 1

• Bypass fire precinct, Bypass fire station at 467 John R. Junkin Drive.

• Bellemont precinct, Elks Lodge at 241 Lower Woodville Road.

• Courthouse precinct, Adams County Courthouse at 115 S. Wall St.

District 2

• Beau Pre´ precinct, Church of Christ at 2 Beau Pre´ Road.

• Duncan Park precinct, Duncan Park Canteen at 57 Duncan Park Road.

• Kingston precinct, Kingston Fire Station at 575 Kingston Road.

• Liberty Park precinct, National Guard Armory at 329 Liberty Road.

District 3

• Concord precinct, Christian Hope Baptist Church at 301 Lasalle St.

• Maryland Heights precinct, Maryland Heights recreation building at 111 Dumas Drive.

• Natchez Public Schools precinct, David R. Steckler Multi-purpose Building at 311 Liberty Road.

• Palestine precinct, Liberty Road Volunteer Fire Department at 1196 Liberty Road.

District 4

• Pine Ridge precinct, District 4 barn at 176 Foster Mound Road.

• Carpenter precinct, Rose Hill Baptist Church at 607 1/2 Madison St.

• Morgantown precinct, Morgantown School at 101 Cottage Home Drive.

• Northside precinct, Frazier School at 1445 George F. West Blvd.

District 5

• Washington precinct, New Hope Baptist Church at 417 Morgantown Road.

• Oakland precinct, Lovely Lane Methodist Church at 65 Morgantown Road.

• Airport precinct, airport firehouse at 434 Airport Road.

• Foster Mound precinct, District 5 Fire Station at 228 Foster Mound Road.