Absentee voting is underway for voters who won’t be able to make it to the polls for the June 7 primary election. Lauderdale County Circuit Clerk Donna Jill Johnson said absentee ballots are available at her office.

“We are asking the voters to check their calendars for vacation dates, a conference, surgery, etc., to see if they need to vote an absentee ballot,” she said. “Absentee ballots are available now in the Circuit Clerk’s office.”

Mississippi allows residents with a valid excuse to cast an absentee ballot prior to the election. According to the Secretary of State’s office, valid reasons to vote absentee in person include residents who will be out of town on election day, have a disability that prevents them from from voting in person, will be caring for a parent, spouse or dependent with a disability more than 50 miles from their residence, anyone 65 or older, or those unable to go to the polls due to work.

Additionally, residents who are 65 or older, who will be outside the county on election day, have a disability that prevents them from voting in person, or who is caring for a parent, spouse or dependent with a disability more than 50 miles from their residence are eligible to vote by mail-in absentee.

Johnson said poll workers, who will be manning polling locations from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day, are also eligible to vote absentee.

Voters in the June 7 primary will be using paper ballots, Johnson said. Lauderdale County has stopped using the electronic touchscreen systems and instead uses scanners to read and collect voter’s completed ballots.

The change, Johnson said, has ended long lines at voting precincts and made the voting process much faster for the county’s residents.

“Lauderdale County has returned to using precinct scanners with paper ballots, and there are no long lines as with the prior touchscreen,” she said.

The June 7 primary will feature three Republican candidates vying for a seat in Congress. Incumbent Rep. Michael Guest, who is running for re-election, will face off against two challengers, Michael Cassidy and Thomas B. Griffin.

The sole Democrat, Shuwaski Young, is running unopposed and will advance to the general election on Nov. 8.

Because Mississippi does not require voters to declare a party affiliation when registering, all registered voters are eligible to vote in the primary.

Before heading to the polls, Johnson said voters should make sure they have  proper identification to show at their precinct. Mississippi requires voters to have proper identification to receive a ballot.

Acceptable forms of identification are government issued photo-identification cards such as a driver’s license, a firearms permit, a passport, a student ID with a photo, a military ID, tribal ID, government employee ID card or Mississippi Voter Identification Card.

For more information about voting, important dates or how to get an identification card, visit sos.ms.gov/yallvote.

Residents with questions about absentee voting can contact the Lauderdale County Circuit Clerk’s office at 601-482-9731.