District 4 will influence Tues. runoff election
Published 5:00 am Monday, August 27, 2007
District Four will have a lot of input in the Tuesday’sDemocratic Party runoffs, election officials say.
Not only is the only contested supervisor’s race on theDemocratic ballot in the district, but it is also falls within theboundaries of the Constable Post One and Justice Court Judge PostOne races. Also in a runoff, although containing no part ofDistrict Four, is Justice Court Judge Post Two.
Polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday and close at 7 p.m.
There are no Republican Party runoffs. Winners in the DemocraticParty runoffs Tuesday will meet their Republican counterparts foroffice in the general election Nov. 6.
Incumbent District Four Supervisor Doug Moak will meet formersupervisor C.E. “Eddie” Brown in the election. The Democraticprimary winner will face independent Earl H. Brown in the generalelection.
Clint Earls battles with Kelly Porter for constable of Post One.Also drawing voters in the area, Ralph Boone and Art Likens willsquare off for the honor of sitting on the Post One countybench.
“The more races in the primary, the more people will turn out. Ithink those races will help mine,” said Eddie Brown. “People shouldtake part and participate in elections.”
Kelly Porter said the focus shift to District Four could helphim in his bid to become Post One constable. He acknowledged hisopponent, Earls, had the edge in numbers in the Democratic primary,but felt the added interest of other races in District Four wouldbe to his advantage.
“District Four was my strongest area in the primary and I thinkthe supervisor’s race there will help bring them out again, sothere should be a good turnout for us,” he said. “I think DistrictFour will be the biggest factor in our race.”
Earls said the loss of higher profile races in other districtsmay discourage some voters there from going to the pollsTuesday.
“With a lot of the bigger races over with, I’m not sure how big(the turnout) will be,” he said.
Tuesday’s election will also decide whether Carl Brown or AnnReeves will receive the Democratic nomination to face RepublicanFreddie Canon in November to be named the new Justice Court JudgePost Two in the sole race in their area.
The Democratic Party runoff is open to any voter who voted onthe Democratic ticket during the Aug. 7 primary and to voters whodid not participate, said Circuit Clerk Terry Lynn Watkins.
Those who voted in the Republican primary do not have a runoffelection and are prohibited from voting in the Democratic runoff,she said. Polls Tuesday will have a list of those who voted in theRepublican primary on Aug. 7.
“When someone comes in to vote, the poll workers are to checkthat list,” Watkins said.
Absentee voting closed Saturday, except for mail-in ballots thatcan be received Monday provided they have a Saturday postmark,Watkins said. As of noon Friday, she said the office had received296 absentee ballots.
“That’s actually more than I was expecting for the runoff sothat may be a good sign,” she said. “The candidates have beenworking hard to make sure everyone knows to vote Tuesday.”
Watkins said every precinct in Lincoln County has at least tworaces on the ballot – a state race between Todd Brand and MikeSumrall for state auditor and a local judge’s race.
Watkins said she also wanted to remind residents that less thantwo weeks remain to qualify for the office of election commissionerfor District Three. The deadline to qualify is Sept. 6.
The election commissioner’s race will appear on Nov. 6 generalelection ballot.
Bennon Case is the only candidate to qualify to date. He wasappointed to the office by county supervisors in late June toreplace Floye McClelland, who resigned for health reasons.