Warren County polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday for the runoff election between two funeral home directors for the county coroner’s post.

Ronald C. Regan, manager of Jefferson Funeral Home, and John A. Thomason III, manager of Fisher-Riles Funeral Home, emerged as the top two when five people sought two weeks ago to fill the three years remaining on the term of L.W. Callaway III.

Callaway was appointed director of the county’s Emergency Management Agency in August.

Coroners make rulings on deaths that result from trauma or when a person is not under a physician’s care. The position is part-time and pays $750 per month plus $85 per inquest.

Regan, 47, has served as the county deputy coroner since 1993 and was appointed interim coroner in August.

Thomason, 42, sought for the position in 1983, but was defeated by Callaway who had been one of the state’s longest-serving coroners.

Of the 31,370 eligible voters in Warren County, 18,371 cast votes Nov. 7 on ballots that included presidential and congressional races.

In anticipation of a low turnout Tuesday, partly because the runoff is the only contest on local ballots., 12,000 ballots were ordered for the runoff.

In the Nov. 7 election, Regan had 6,172 votes to Thomason’s 5,598, but neither had the 50 percent plus one needed to avoid the runoff.

Combined, the three other candidates had a total of 5,466 votes.