Election training underway for March 8th primary election

Election workers for the March 8 primary elections have been training this week at the Union County Courthouse.

About 150 of the individuals, who will be working at Union County’s 20 voting precincts, are learning how to strictly follow Mississippi and federal election laws and regulations. District 4 Election Commissioner Mike Beam has been the instructor for the five sessions this week in the circuit courtroom on the second floor of the courthouse.

Using printed materials, information projected onto a screen and an actual voting machine Beam has conducted training, some of which is review and some of which is about new election regulations and procedures, for about 30 individuals each morning. Workers from each of the five Union County supervisory districts have their own training class.

Union County Circuit Clerk Phyllis Stanford says that the training is a requirement before each election. Precinct workers are paid minimum wage for training time, and each worker is paid $100 for their work on election day. She said pay to precinct workers during the March 8 primary is expected to total about $15,000.

Three or four workers from each party are required for each precinct on primary election days.

Mississippi Republican voters will see the names of 13 presidential candidates and two candidates for the First District U. S. Congressional seat on their March 8th ballot. Democrats will use a ballot that lists four presidential candidates and a single candidate for the congressional race.