City school trustee, election commissioner, two circuit judges to be voted on

Just as the municipal elections are starting to fade from memory, it’s soon going to be time to go to the polls again.

There will be a special election Nov. 2 and four offices with local connections will be on the ballot.

Two are for circuit judge, one is for county election commissioner and one is for a city school board seat.

Union County Circuit Clerk Phyllis Stanford said an election may not be required if there is only one candidate in each race. She expected to get more information about that at the state conference this week.

The race of most interest to New Albany residents will be for a New Albany school board seat.

Four of the five school board members are appointed by New Albany aldermen. The fifth, however, is elected by voters in what is called the added territory. That is a large part of northeast Union County outside the New Albany city limits, but that is still connected to the city school district.

The area runs roughly east of Hwy. 15 North, generally along Hwy. 30 East and as far as Pleasant Ridge.

Anyone who is not sure whether he or she lives in the county or city school district can check his or her property tax bill. It will only list one of the two districts.

The incumbent city school board member is David Rainey, who is expected to run for re-election.

The qualifying period for candidates for his seat begins Aug. 4. Qualifying ends Sept. 3.

Candidates must be qualified voters in the added territory and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Upon election, the trustee must complete a training course and then obtain continuing education credits throughout the five-year term of office.

Candidates should check with the circuit clerk’s office for specific filing paperwork requirements.

A second race only involves the First Supervisor’s District in the northwest quarter of the county.

Due to the death of Election Commission West Creighton, someone needs to be elected for the rest of his term.

The Union County Board of Supervisors appointed Donnie Shuman as interim District 1 Election Commissioner to serve until the election at their May meeting. If Shuman runs and is elected, he (or whoever wins) will fill the office for the rest of the term that runs through 2023.

A candidate only needs to be a qualified elector of the First Supervisor’s District.

The remaining two races are for circuit court judge.

Thanks to the retirement of two Third Circuit Court District judges earlier this year, those positions must be filled.

The judges appointed to serve until the special election were Gray Tollison in Position One and Kent E. Smith in Position Three.

At this point they appear to be the only two candidates.

While the qualifying period for school board member is only a month, qualifying for the other offices apparently can be done now with a deadline of 5 p.m. Sept. 3.

Absentee ballots should be ready Sept. 20, the voter registration deadline will be Oct. 3 and the absentee voting deadline will be Oct. 30. The special general election will be Nov. 2.

As a reminder, all candidates must meet the following requirements to qualify for office:

• Be a qualified elector or registered voter of the State of Mississippi and in the district of the office for which the candidate seeks election.
• Be a resident of the municipality, county or county district office that he or she seeks to represent for two years immediately preceding the day of the election.
• Never have been convicted of bribery, perjury or other infamous crime, being defined as a crime punishable by a minimum of one year confinement in the state penitentiary, unless pardoned for the offense.
• Never have been convicted of a felony in a court of this state or, of a felony in a federal court, or of a crime in the court of another state which is a felony under the laws of this state, on or after Dec. 8, 1992; excluding, however, a conviction of manslaughter or a violation of the United States Internal Revenue Code or any violation of the tax laws of this state, unless the offense also involved the misuse or abuse of an office or money coming into a candidate’s hands by virtue of an office.