Voters face registration deadline this week

By By Georgia E. Frye / staff writer
July 2, 2003
First-time voters or people who need to update their names and address on voter rolls face a key deadline this week if they want to participate in the August party primaries.
Circuit clerk offices in Neshoba and Newton counties have a 5 p.m. deadline Thursday for voter registration, while those in Clarke, Kemper and Lauderdale counties have a noon Saturday deadline.
In Lauderdale County, Circuit Clerk Donna Jill Johnson is extending her office hours until 7 p.m. today and Thursday for people wanting to register to vote.
Voters head to the polls Aug. 5 for Democratic and Republican party primaries in county, legislative and statewide races. Among races on the ballot: county supervisor, governor and lieutenant governor.
Primary winners who have opponents in another political party will advance to the Nov. 4 general election.
Johnson said she thought it would be a good idea to hold extended office hours for voter registration because of redistricting. She said voter locations, supervisor districts and precinct lines have changed.
Johnson said her office has mailed about 41,000 new voter registration cards to county residents. If registered voters haven't received their cards by Thursday, she said, they should call her office.
She said residents who don't receive a new card could have moved and failed to change their address; stayed at the same address but added or deleted a post office box; or placed incorrect information on registration.
Also, Johnson said absentee ballots for the August primaries are available during her office's regular hours. Absentee ballots are for voters who are unable to go to the polls on election day.