A special election is being held on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021 for voters to choose who will represent them in State Senate District 32.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for eligible residents to cast their ballots.

The special election will decide who will replace Sen. Sampson Jackson, who served almost 30 years as District 32 Senator before retiring in June.

Nine candidates qualified to appear on the ballot to replace him, including W.J. Coleman, Stan Copeland, James Creer, Justin Curtis Creer, Minh Duong, Rod Hickman, Kim Houston, Keith Jackson and Bradley Joseph Sudduth.

Senate District 32 covers parts of Kemper, Noxubee and Winston counties, as well as 14 of Lauderdale County’s 40 voting precincts. The 14 districts are Meridian Little Theatre, Lauderdale Fire Station, Velma Young Community Center, Raymond Davis Annex Building, Daleville United Methodist Church, Gateway Church in Lauderdale, Hamasa Temple Shrine in Marion, El Bethel Missionary Baptist, Magnolia Hall, MSU-Meridian, Mt. Olive MB Church, Old Mt. Barton School, Prince of Peace Christian Fellowship and Council of Organizations.

Only voters who live in Senate District 32 will be permitted to vote in the special election. Voters can check their voter registration cards to see if they are eligible to vote.

For those unable to locate their voter registration cards, Lauderdale County Circuit Clerk Donna Jill Johnson said the polling locations will be the same as in the 2020 presidential election. Those who cast their votes in the presidential election at one of the 14 eligible precincts are able to vote in the Senate District 32 election.

A candidate in the special election needs to receive a majority of the votes cast to avoid triggering a runoff election. In the event of a runoff, the two candidates with the most votes will appear on the ballot. A runoff election for Senate District 32 will be held Nov. 23 if needed.