For in-person balloting; mail-ins next week

The Lafayette County Circuit Court Clerk’s office will be open this Saturday to accommodate in-person absentee voting for the upcoming presidential primary.

The office will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on March 9, which is the last day to vote absentee in person. All mail-in absentee ballots must be postmarked by March 12 and received by the clerk’s office by March 19.

The primary election is March 12, and all Lafayette County residents will be voting in their respective voting precincts.

In Lafayette County, there is still time for residents to register for two local elections – Justice Court Judge-Southern District and a seat on the Lafayette County School Board.

The Justice Court is a special election to fill the seat that was opened with the death of long-time Justice Court Judge Johnny Wayne McLarty, who died after a car crash in December. Retired Judge Andrew Howorth was appointed by the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors to sit on the bench until a new judge is elected in November.

The qualification period for that race opened in January and folks have until Sept. 6 to qualify. As of this week, two people have tossed their hats into the ring – McLarty’s daughter, Deanna McLarty Massey, and Benjamin Justus, who ran for the seat in November, but lost to McLarty.

The qualification period for the school board seat will not open until Aug. 7 and the deadline is also Sept. 6, giving school board candidates just one month to campaign.

Both races are nonpartisan and will not be part of the primary elections.

Independent candidates for the office of President of the United States can also qualify up until Sept. 6 and will be included on the ballots for the November election.