NATCHEZ — Southern District voters have one last opportunity to have their say in the district’s next justice court judge with today’s run-off election.

The polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m., with voters from nine precincts deciding between Danny Barber and Eileen Mary Maher to fill the vacancy left by longtime justice court judge Charlie Vess, who retired before his term ended.

Barber and Maher, respectively, were the two leading vote-getters out of a field of five candidates in the Nov. 7 election, but neither received the majority necessary to win the election outright.

Though Adams County Election Commissioner Larry Gardner said he expects a low voter turnout, he hopes residents prove him wrong.

“Historically, run-offs have always been a lower turnout,” Gardner said.

“The more people that vote, the better off we are … because then you have the will of the people. If you only get a 20-percent turnout, is that really the will of the people?”

Gardner said he hopes at least those who voted for Barber or Maher in the initial election show up at the polls again. Barber garnered approximately 29 percent of the vote, while approximately 26 percent of voters selected Maher.

“That’s (55) percent of the vote. Let’s hope that (55) percent of those people come out again,” Gardner said.

People who originally voted for candidates no longer in contention generally stay home for run-offs, Gardner said, but he hopes some of those voters decide to cast their ballots again.

“We’re supposed to have good weather, so let’s hope we can get people out to the polls,” he said.

All three precincts in District 1 and four precincts in District 2 will participate in the voting, along with the Palestine precinct in District 3 and the Washington precinct in District 5.

In District 1, the Natchez Mall precinct is located at the central court at 350 John R. Junkin Drive; The Bellemont precinct is located at Crosspoint Church at 285 Highland Blvd.; and the courthouse is located at 115 S. Wall St.

For District 2 voters, the Liberty Park precinct’s polling place is located at the Mississippi National Guard Armory at 329 Liberty Road; Kingston is at the Kingston Fire Station at 575 Kingston Road; Duncan Park’s precinct is at the Duncan Park Canteen at 57 Duncan Park Road; and the Beau Pré precinct’s voting will take place at Calvary Baptist Church, located at 522 U.S. 61 South.

Voters in District 3’s Palestine precinct will vote at the Liberty Road Volunteer Fire Department at 1196 Liberty Road; and District 5’s Washington precinct at New Hope Baptist Church at 417 Morgantown Road.

No precincts in District 4 will participate in the run-off.

Voters can locate their polling places by visiting www.sos.ms.gov/pollingplace/pages/default.aspx and entering their addresses when requested.