Voters ready for primary election

Published 12:09 am Friday, April 27, 2012

Editor’s note: The original version of this story incorrectly listed the number of absentee ballot requests received by the city. The current version includes the correct information.

NATCHEZ — Voters will take to the polls Tuesday for the city’s primary election to choose which Democratic candidates will continue to the June general election.

Independent and Republican party candidates in the city elections will not appear on Tuesday’s ballot.

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Sue Stedman, chairman of the local Republican party, said the party chose to not have a primary election because no Republican candidate is contested by another Republican.

“It would just be a huge waste of taxpayer dollars to hold an election for candidates who are obviously going to be the nominees,” she said.

Stedman said if a voter chooses to vote Democrat in the primary, they must vote Democrat in the event of a primary runoff election, but do not have to vote Democrat in the general election.

Democratic, Republican and independent candidates will all appear on the June 5 general election ballot, and a voter may vote for a mix of Democrats, Republicans and independents then.

Absentee voting ends Saturday at noon. The Natchez City Clerk’s office had received requests for 280 absentee ballots as of 4 p.m. Thursday.

Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Polling locations are as follows:

•Ward 1: Natchez City Council Chambers

•Ward 2: Frazier Primary School

•Ward 3: Elks Lodge on Lower Woodville Road

•Ward 4: Union Hall

•Ward 5: National Guard Armory on Liberty Road

•Ward 6: Duncan Park Canteen

The candidates who will appear on Tuesday’s ballot are:

Mayor

•Larry L. “Butch” Brown

•Jake Middleton

•Phillip West

Ward 1 Alderman

•Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis

•Kathy Traina

Ward 2 Alderman

•Billie Joe Frazier

•James “Rickey” Gray

Ward 3 Alderman

•Gwen Ball

•Sarah Carter Smith

Ward 4 Alderman

•Ernest “Tony” Fields

Ward 5 Alderman

•Mark Fortenbery

Ward 6 Alderman

•Dianne P. Brown

•Dan Dillard

City Clerk

•Temple Hendricks

•Donnie Holloway

Municipal Judge

•Jim Blough

For more election information, call Natchez City Hall at 601-445-7500 or visit the Secretary of State’s Voter Information Center at sos.ms.gov.