Meridian voters will see polls open in two runoff elections Tuesday as both a special election to fill House District 82 and the Democratic nominee for the Ward 3 City Council seat remain undecided.

 

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to give residents a chance to vote. Only residents of state House District 82 and Meridian’s Ward 3 will be eligible to participate.

 

On the ballot for Ward 3, incumbent City Councilman Joe Norwood Jr. faces off against challenger Tracy Tims to be the Democratic nominee heading into the general election in June. Tims outperformed Norwood in the April 1 primary, taking 41% of the vote to Norwood’s 37%.

 

The winner of the runoff will move on to the general election where they will face Beverly Henson, who ran unopposed for the Ward 3 Republican nominee.

 

In the House District 82 runoff, Lauderdale County Supervisor Joe Norwood Sr. and Meridian Civil Service Commissioner Gregory Elliott will compete to replace longtime Rep. Charles Young Jr., who died in December. Gov. Tate Reeves in January declared a special election to fill the seat.

 

Elliott received the most votes of the three candidates running in the March 25th special election, with 556 votes or 40.3%. Norwood Sr. received 413 votes, or 29.95%. Norwood took the second place spot to move on to the runoff with just three votes over Meridian Attorney Joseph Denson’s 410 votes, or 29.73%.

 

Eligible voters who did not vote in the primary elections can still participate in the runoffs. In the Ward 3 election, however, those who voted in the Republican primary on April 1 cannot cross over and vote in the Democratic runoff.

 

Residents can see if they are eligible to vote in the runoffs by looking at their voter registration cards. Those with 82 under REP are eligible to vote in the House District 82 runoff and will vote at their county precinct location.

 

Meridian voters with 3 under WARD, are eligible to vote in the Ward 3 runoff and will vote at their city voting precinct.

 

Those who are unable to find their voter registration card can look up their voting information online using the Secretary of State’s Election Day portal at myelectionday.sos.state.ms.us.