Corinth Mayoral Race: Absentee Voting Steady Before Oct. 13

The Corinth mayoral race is now about two weeks from election day, and absentee voting at Corinth City Hall has moved at a steady pace. According to the Daily Corinthian, 107 absentee ballots had been cast by early Friday afternoon, Sept. 25, in the city’s municipal general election, which is set for Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Absentee voting for the general election opened on Aug. 31 at City Hall, 300 Childs Street. Voters who qualify for an absentee ballot can still cast one there during regular business hours.

Four candidates in the Corinth mayoral race

The mayor’s seat is the headline contest on the city ballot. Four candidates are running, according to results from the August party primaries reported by WTVA:

• Ralph Dance (Republican), the incumbent mayor, who is seeking a second term
• Nestly Gates (Democrat)
• Tommy Irwin (independent), a former Corinth mayor who served three terms
• Taylor Coombs Moak (independent)

Dance won the Republican nomination in the primary with about 66% of the vote, defeating challenger Chip Wood. Gates was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Irwin and Moak qualified for the general election ballot as independents.

The race brings back a familiar matchup. Dance, a longtime Corinth Police Department officer who served as police chief before entering politics, unseated Irwin in the 2022 Republican primary by a narrow margin. Irwin now returns to the ballot as an independent.

Most city races already settled

The mayor’s race is the main contest left for the fall. Most of the Board of Aldermen and police chief races were effectively settled in the summer party primaries. Winners in those primaries included:

• Alderman at Large: Michael McFall, who defeated incumbent David Curry in the Republican primary
• Ward One: Johnny Butler
• Ward Two: Noah McQueen (unopposed)
• Ward Three: Danny Timmons
• Ward Four: Steve Hill (unopposed, Democrat)
• Ward Five: Joshua Bryant (unopposed)
• Chief of Police: Landon Tucker (unopposed)

What Corinth voters need to know

Polls for the Oct. 13 election will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the standard hours for Mississippi elections. Voters must bring an acceptable photo ID, such as a driver’s license, a Mississippi voter ID card, a passport, or a military ID.

Mississippi allows absentee voting only for voters with an eligible reason, such as being age 65 or older, having a temporary or permanent disability, or being required to be away from the city on election day. Voters with questions about absentee ballots or their polling place can contact Corinth City Hall at 662-286-6644.

This city election is separate from the Nov. 3 general election, for which absentee voting is also underway at the Alcorn County Circuit Clerk’s office. Alcorn News MS will report results from the Corinth mayoral race on election night.

Related: Alcorn County absentee voting opens for November election

Source: Daily Corinthian; WTVA