Lauderdale County Circuit Clerk Donna Jill Johnson is looking to educate area voters ahead of the Nov. 7 general election and answer some frequently asked questions her office receives.

This year’s election will include statewide and countywide seats, with a total of 40 races on the ballot. Residents, however, will only see races for the state and county districts in which they live.

District races include county supervisors, justice court judges, constables, state House seats and state Senate seats, and election commissioners. Voters can look on their voter registration card to see which districts they live in, or go online to myelectionday.sos.state.ms.us.

Residents may also have a new polling location or be in a new district than in previous years due to the county’s redistricting process, which was completed earlier this year. Johnson said all voters impacted by the redistricting changes should have received an updated voter registration card with the correct information.

After arriving at their voting precincts, residents will need to show an acceptable ID to receive a ballot. Most government IDs are accepted, including driver’s licenses, military or school ID, firearms permits and more. Expired or out of state driver’s licenses are also accepted as long as it has been expired less than 10 years One point of confusion for voters may be on the ballot for the governor’s race. Incumbent Republican Tate Reeves, who is seeking his second term, will face off against Democrat challenger Brandon Presley. A third candidate, Gwendolyn Gray, will also appear on the ballot as an Independent. Gray has already withdrawn her candidacy and endorsed Presley, however the ballots had already been printed, and her name could not be removed.

Any votes for Gray on the Nov. 7 ballot will be counted, potentially pushing the governor’s race into a runoff.

Absentee voting is underway for residents who are not able to vote in person on Election Day. Mississippi does not have early voting or no excuse absentee voting, meaning every person requesting an absentee ballot must have a valid, legal reason.

Some common reasons to vote absentee include working from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, being out of town for school, work or vacation, having surgery or a medical procedure that prevents someone from going to the polls or having a temporary or permanent disability. Voters who are already away from Lauderdale County, such as college students or military service members, can request an absentee ballot be sent to them via mail by contacting the circuit clerk’s office at 601-482-9731.

Residents with questions or concerns about the Nov. 7 general election or unsure where to vote can contact the circuit clerk’s office or go online to the secretary of state’s Election Day portal at myelectionday.sos.state.ms.us. Voters can also contact the secretary of state’s election division via email at electionanswers@sos.ms.gov or call 800-829-6786.