A runoff in the Democratic Senate primary is Tuesday throughout Mississippi, but a light turnout is expected.
David Baria, a state representative from Bay St. Louis, will face Howard Sherman, a Los Angeles native and husband of actress Sela Ward of Meridian, for the right to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Wicker in November.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 7 p.m. across Marion County.
“The runoff, even though it is only one race, is like a regular election,” Circuit Clerk Janette Nolan said. “We have to have all 22 polling places open, and we’re mandated to staff each with three poll workers. We have to have so many machines out and so many ballots.”
Nolan said earlier this month the cost of operating the runoff could reach as high as $15,000 in Marion County. The turnout in the primary was around 17 percent. It is likely Tuesday’s turnout will be much lower, in part because those who voted Republican in the June 6 primary will not be going to the polls.
“This is only the Democratic Senate race. If you voted as a Democrat in the primary or did not vote at all in the primary, you can vote in the runoff,” Nolan said. “If you voted as a Republican in the primary, you can’t vote as a Democrat in the runoff.”
