Absentee voting for the upcoming general election begins on Monday.

Sample ballots are available online via the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office and in person at the Lafayette County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office in the Lafayette County Courthouse.

There are national, state and local races on the ballot.

There are nine candidates on the ballot for the Presidential race. Although he withdrew from the race, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name is on the ballot.

Voters will also choose their representatives in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House.

Democrat Ty Pinkins is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Wicker. Wicker has represented the state in the U.S. Senate since 2007.

In Lafayette County, folks will cast a vote in the House of Representatives 1st Congressional District race between incumbent Rep. Trent Kelly and Democratic candidate Dianne Dodson Black.

The local races on the ballot are for two seats on the Lafayette County School Board, a seat on the Justice Court bench and three election commissioner seats.

However, where you live will determine which ballot you will see when you vote. Not every race will appear on each ballot. If a race is for a specific district, only folks living in that district will vote in that race.

Visit www.sos.ms.gov/yall-vote for election information and to view sample ballots.

The Lafayette County school district seats up for election are District 3, currently held by Dr. Judith Thompson and District 4, currently held by Mike Gooch; however, Gooch has said he is not seeking re-election, according to the Lafayette County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.

Erika Hewlett is the only person who has qualified for District 4.

In the District 3 race, Shane Russell and Crystal Babb Grosse have qualified to challenge incumbent Thompson.

In the Southern Justice Court election, seven people qualified to run – Angie Allen, Michael K. Brown Jr., Shane Brown, Krisi Allen, Ley Falkner, Benjamin Justus and Deanna McLarty Massey.

The election is being held 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.

In the election commissioner race, three will vie for the District 5 seat, including incumbent Debbie Black, Tiffany Babb and Vicki Gandy Wright. Two will go head-to-head in the District 1 race – incumbent Faye Phillips against Debbie Gardner Sealy, Incumbent Lola Pearson will remain as the District 3 commissioner since no one else qualified to run.

All races with three or more candidates, one candidate must receive 50% +1 of the votes to win. If one candidate does not achieve that, there will be a runoff between the two candidates garnering the two highest percentages of votes.

The runoff will be held on Nov. 26.

Absentee voting will run through Nov. 2.

The general election is Nov. 5. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The local races are nonpartisan and will appear on the ballot along with races for Lafayette County election commissioners, U.S. president, U.S. senate and U.S. representative.