By Alyssa Schnugg

Oxford citizens will head back to the polls for a special election to elect a new at-large aldermen next month.

Former At-Large Alderman John Morgan was elected in November to become the Lafayette County District 2 Supervisor, beating his opponent, Avery Dunn.

During the Oxford Board of Aldermen’s regular meeting Tuesday, the board approved a special election to be held on Feb. 6. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and all registered voters can cast their votes at the Oxford Conference Center.

Candidates must qualify 20 days before the election, which in this case, will fall on Jan. 17, giving them about two weeks to qualify.

Each candidate must qualify by filling out a petition with the Lafayette County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office that must be signed by at least 50 registered voters. Qualified electors can sign more than one petition.

There is no limit to the number of candidates who can run for the Board of Aldermen seat; however, if no candidate on Feb. 6 receives a majority of the votes (51 percent), the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes will then go head-to-head in a run-off election on Feb. 20.

Morgan attended his last meeting as an alderman on Dec. 19, where he was recognized for serving Oxford for four terms as the at-large alderman.

On his Facebook page after the meeting, Morgan thanked his fellow citizens and city employees.

“The mayor and board of alderman are the best in the state and it shows,” Morgan wrote. “I will miss them all but I look forward to my next challenge and my next position as Supervisor for District 2 of Lafayette County.”