50 percent of Warren County’s registered voters turn out Tuesday

Published 10:11 am Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Donald Trump defeated Hilary Clinton to take Warren County as voters ignored the rainy morning weather Tuesday and turned out in large numbers to cast their ballots in the presidential election.

A total of 16,738 or 50 percent of the county’s 33,427 registered voters, cast votes at the polls Tuesday. Circuit Clerk Jan Hyland Daigre said the large turnout was attributed to the presidential race.

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“We had a hot race,” she said.

Incomplete and unofficial returns showed Trump had 8,506 votes, or 50.93 percent, to 46.67 percent, or 7,795 votes for Clinton. The presidential vote also featured 77 write-in ballots.

The candidates for local elections for election commissioner and Vicksburg Warren School District trustee were unopposed. The lack of a local race left the Circuit Courtroom on the Courthouse’s second floor rather empty, except for election workers and two representatives of the Green Party, who came to get the results and left early.

Circuit Clerk Jan Hyland Daigre said Tuesday’s results did not include absentee or affidavit ballots.

“We will count all the absentee ballots, emergency ballots and curbside ballot on Wednesday, Warren County election commissioner Sarah Dionne said. County election officials will begin counting the affidavit ballots Thursday. Friday is a holiday for Veteran’s Day, so the final totals may be known until next week, she said.

“We’ve had a very busy day and an excellent turnout,” Dionne said as she and election officials awaited the returns. “Many of the voters had a definite opinion (about the election) and they wanted to cast it.”

She said the only mechanical problem was a voting machine with a broken leg that was repaired

Daigre said several people came to the clerk’s office to register to vote and vote in the Tuesday election. The deadline to register to vote in the election was Oct. 8.

Her office also receive several calls about people who had moved and were unable to vote in their precinct, adding they had to cast affidavit ballots.

“We don’t know someone has moved and changed address unless they tell us,” she said.

Trump took 12 of the county’s 22 precincts to win the county. The largest number of votes he received was 2,056 at the Culkin precinct.

In the state and congressional races on the ballot, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Bolton, took 50 percent of the vote to defeat challengers John Bouie II, Johnny McLeod and Troy Ray and take Warren County; incumbent Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitches won the county over Kenny Griffis with 54.13 percent of the vote to 45.62 for Griffis; and Ceola James won 72.44 of the county vote over Latrice Westbrooks, who had 26.91 percent.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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