Election commissioners; school board members on November ballot

While most voters associate the November general election with the U.S. presidential election, the state elects its U.S. senators and representatives at the same time. Senators serve six year terms. The state’s two senators serve staggered terms., Members of the U.S. House of Representatives run for re-election every two years.
State supreme court and court of appeals judges appear on the ballot. They serve staggered eight year terms.
In addition, there are a couple of local races on the ballot.
Voters will elect election commissioners in districts 1, 3 and 5.
Circuit clerk Dan Hawn says the three incumbents have all qualified for re-election to their posts.
“They qualify early in the cycle. State law requires election commissioner qualification to begin Jan. 2 and the deadline was Feb. 1, a full nine months prior to the general election,” Hawn said.
Election commissioners run in staggered years. Districts 2 and 4 ran on last year’s general election, returning Ricky Dowell and Christy Planche to office. This year Beth Cowart, District 1; William Ratliff, District 2; and Paulette Jackson, District 5, are all running unopposed for re-election.
In the general election, if runoffs are required, they take place three weeks after the general election date. Since none of the election commissioners faces opposition there is no runoff and they are presumed elected on the general election date.
Also, up for reelection this year is the county school board. School board members serve six year terms with elections staggered every two years. District 3 board member Deloris Breland and District 4 board member Jerry Lane Holmes are the incumbents this year.
The qualification period for school board is a bit odd, too. Unlike election commissioners who qualify early in the year, school board members begin qualifying for the post Aug. 7 with the deadline to qualify at 5 p.m. Sept. 6, two months prior to the general election.
Like election commissioners, school board members are non-partisan, running without regard to party labels.
Unlike other elections, school board members do not face a runoff election, instead the high man–person with the most votes–is declared the winner.
Voter registration deadline to vote in the November general election is Oct. 7.
Absentee voting in the circuit clerk’s office begins Sept. 23.