Polls open in primary elections

Mar. 11—Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday as Mississippi residents cast their votes in the 2024 primary elections. On the ballot this year are races for U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and president of the United States.

Upon arriving at their assigned precinct, voters will need to chose whether they want to receive a Republican or Democrat primary ballot.

On the Republican side, former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy will all be listed as candidates for the presidential nomination. Ramaswamy, DeSantis and Haley have all ended their campaigns but did not file the necessary paperwork to be removed from the ballot, according to Secretary of State Michael Watson's office.

One of Mississippi's two U.S. Senate seats is also up for grabs this year, and incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Wicker faces two primary challengers in state Rep. Dan Eubanks and former Marine Corps pilot Ghannon Burton. Wicker is currently Mississippi's senior senator and is currently the ranking member of the Senate Armed Forces committee.

Also on the Republican ballot in Lauderdale County will be U.S. Rep. Michael Guest, who represents Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District. Guest, a former district attorney from Madison and Rankin counties, has served in the House of Representatives since 2018.

Guest is running unopposed in both the primary and general elections.

On the Democrat ballot, President Joe Biden is running for a second term in office and is seeking his party's nomination heading into the November general elections. In the Senate race, Rolling Fork native, Army veteran and attorney Ty Pinkins will also be on the ballot as he looks to take on the winner of the Republican primary this fall.

In a news release Monday, Watson reminded residents to bring an acceptable form of identification with them as they head to the polls. Acceptable IDs include driver's licenses, military photo ID cards, passports, firearms licenses, government or tribal ID cards and Mississippi voter identification cards.

Those unable to present a valid ID will need to vote via an affidavit ballot and bring proper identification to the Lauderdale County Circuit Clerk's office by March 19.

Candidates and their supporters are reminded no campaigning is allowed within 150 feet of a voting precinct unless it is on private property. Loitering within 30 feet of a precinct is also prohibited by anyone other than voters, authorized poll watchers and elections workers.

Residents can view sample ballots and find their voting precinct through the Secretary of State's Election Day portal at myelectionday.sos.state.ms.us.

Contact Thomas Howard at thoward@themeridianstar.com