Tuesday, voters all across Mississippi will head to the polls to begin the process of selecting one of Mississippi’s two U.S. Senators.

Party primary elections will be Tuesday with polls opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 7 p.m.

Mississippi’s elections for U.S. Senate will be a little confusing this year as one incumbent Senator, Roger Wicker, is up for re-election on the normal cycle.

But former U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran’s retirement means another senate seat will be up for grabs this year as well.

Wicker’s seat and his challengers will be on the ballot Tuesday.

That race will have six Democrat challengers and two Republicans, including Wicker who seeks reelection.

Because Cochran’s seat is really considered a special election, that race will not be handled with partisan races. Instead, all of the challengers for it will be on November’s general election.

It’s relatively rare that we get to select U.S. Senators since they only come up for reelection every six years. But it’s downright unusual that voters will select two in the same election year.

That’s why it’s so critical for voters to get informed and make sure to head to the polls on Tuesday.

The election will likely not have high voter turnout, if past elections are any guide, but few stakes are as important as which person Mississippi will choose to represent the state for the next six years.