The special election to fill the Mississippi House of Representatives District 30 seat vacated by the resignation of Rep. Robert Huddleston, a Democrat from Sumner, is set for Tuesday, May 8.
According to Sunflower County Circuit Clerk Carolyn Hamilton, Gov. Phil Bryant signed the necessary paperwork on March 7, and the deadline for candidates to qualify was Monday, March 19.
Hamilton said she was aware of Huddleston’s resignation and knew it would result in a special election but expected it to come later in the year.
She only became aware of the imminent qualifying deadline after a candidate arrived in her office last week to file his candidate petitions with the required 50 signatures. That prompted her to contact the Secretary of State’s office to verify the filing deadline.
Hamilton said she was told an apparent breakdown in communication resulted in her not getting the notice and thereby making this a “rushed” election for her.
So far four persons have filed qualifying papers for the special election with only one, Lester Williams of Ruleville, registering in Sunflower County. Williams reportedly ran against Huddleston for the position in 2015.
Hamilton said she is not sure how the clerks in the other counties found out about the qualifying deadline.
Reportedly, Huddleston’s resignation became effective Feb. 28, after spending more than 22 years in the legislature. The selected person will carry out the remainder of Huddleston’s existing term, which expires at the end of 2019, and will have to run again in the general election in November of 2019.
The District 30 position encompasses Tallahatchie, Bolivar and Quitman counties plus four precincts in the northern portion of Sunflower County in Ruleville, Drew and Rome.
With the number of candidates already qualified and an anticipated low voter turnout, Hamilton said a runoff is possible and if necessary, it would be held three weeks after the election, on May 29.
Hamilton said her focus has been on getting the information out, especially to the local election commissioners and to the public.
In addition to the approaching special election and a congressional primary election in June that will likely produce a runoff, on Monday, Hamilton petitioned and gained approval from the Sunflower County Board of Supervisors to move several of the county’s polling places, in Drew, Moorhead and Doddsville.
Designating a Drew location is the most pertinent in light of the upcoming special election, since it involves that precinct. The current polling site, which is the National Guard armory, is the logical choice, but it no longer has electrical power.
The Senator R.L. Crook National Guard Armory was donated to the city of Drew back in August of 2017 and a group of citizens were making plans to use it to house the town’s first grocery store.
The board suggested establishing an MOU with the city, so that the county could justify paying to have electrical service reestablished as needed without violating any laws.
The Boys and Girls Club in Drew was suggested, but Supervisor Gloria Dickerson objected because of impending street repairs on Park Avenue and the lack of available parking. She said the voters would get discouraged if they got there and couldn’t find a place to park.
In Moorhead, the move temporarily changes the polling place to the Moorhead library. The move was necessary because the former polling place, the MDCC administration building, was destroyed by fire in December.
In Doddsville, the new polling place will be the community center.
