In what might be the closest presidential contest ever, about 500 fewer Warren County voters cast ballots Tuesday than did in national elections four years ago.

Those who voted favored Texas Gov. George W. Bush for the White House.

About 18,371 ballots were cast locally. Poll books list 31,370 people as eligible county voters.

In 1996 voting, the ballot included a special election for sheriff and 18,829 out of 26,000 registered voters cast ballots.

In neighboring counties Claiborne, Sharkey and Issaquena, voters departed from majorities in Warren and the state and cast their ballots for Gore. Claiborne voters cast 3,568 ballots for Gore and 881 for Bush. Sharkey went 1,407 for Gore and 1,069 for Bush while Issaquena, 551 for Gore and 365 for Bush.

Also on local ballots, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson continued a pattern of winning re-election in his 22-county district without a majority in Warren County, Republican challenger for the District 2 House seat Hardy Caraway, who did not buy a single ad or make a speech, took 55 percent of the vote in Warren County. Thompson carried neighboring Sharkey with 1,804 to 787 votes for Caraway, Issaquena with 579 to 292 and Claiborne with 3,696 to 713.

Republican Senator Trent Lott took 12,092 votes, 67 percent of the Warren County vote to 5,574 votes, 31 percent, for Democrat Troy Brown Sr. Sharkey and Issaquena voters splint between the two candidates nearly even while Claiborne County voters gave 66 percent of the vote to Brown.

In Sharkey, 1,276 votes went to Lott while 1,299 went for Brown. In Issaquena, 431 votes apiece went to each candidate. In Claiborne, 2,984 votes went to Brown and 1,439 to Lott.