Municipal primary elections will be held locally in Oxford, Taylor and Abbeville next month and voters who will be out of town on May 2 can now cast their vote with an absentee ballot.

Oxford City Clerk Ashley Atkinson said absentee voting is now open; however, the deadline to register has passed for the primary election.

“However, people can still register now through May 6 to be able to vote in the general election on June 6,” Atkinson said.

The deadline to register to vote in the June election is today at 5 p.m.

Oxford voters can vote absentee in the primary election, or register to vote at the Lafayette County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office in the Lafayette County Courthouse in the middle of the Square.

In Oxford, two races in the Board of Aldermen election will be decided during the primary.

In Ward 1, incumbent Rick Addy will go up against fellow Democrat candidate Patrick Herbert. In Ward 5, incumbent Preston Taylor will face off with fellow Democrat candidate Theressa Hilliard

You may vote by absentee ballot in Mississippi if:

• you will be away from your county on Election Day for any reason;

• you are a student, teacher or administrator at a school whose studies or employment there necessitates your absence from your county on Election Day; or you are the spouse or dependent thereof;

• you have a temporary or permanent physical disability that renders you unable to vote in person without substantial hardship;

• you are the parent, spouse or dependent of a person with a temporary or permanent physical disability who is hospitalized outside of their county of residence or more than 50 miles away, and you (the parent, spouse or dependent) will be with that person on Election Day;

• you are 65 years of age or older;

• you will be unable to vote in person because you are required to be at work on Election Day during the times at which the polls will be open.

Wards 3, 4 and at-large had no opposing candidates qualify against the incumbents.

The candidates

In June, Ward 2 voters will elect either Republican Mark Huelse or Democrat Paula Shanks as their alderman and Ward 6 voters will decide between Republican incumbent Jason Bailey and Democrat candidate Wayne Andrews.

In Abbeville, Ken Hanks, Wayne Haynie, Lynn Klepzig, Ronnie Williams, Don Ward and Will Kent will fight for five at-large aldermen seats and in Taylor, Tim Bridges, Elle Meacham, Courtney Covington, Jimmie Willkingham, Carolyn “Lyn” Roberts, Justin Reid and Noel Montgomery will be running to fill five at-large aldermen seats.

There is no primary in Abbeville or Taylor since the Board of Aldermen elections in those towns are nonpartisan.