The City Clerk’s Office will be open extra hours starting Tuesday for voter registration.

The office will be open each evening until 7 through Friday and until noon Saturday, the last day for voters to register to vote in the primary election on May 3.

The clerk’s office in City Hall is also accepting absentee ballots for the primary until April 30 for voters who will be out of Warren County on election day.

Today, there are about 18,098 names on city poll books. Under state law, any new voter not enrolled 30 days before voting cannot cast a ballot.

On May 3, voters will be picking Democratic nominees for mayor and both aldermen’s seats. Because there are only three Republican candidates, one in each race, there will be no Republican primary.

To win a primary, a candidate needs more than half the votes cast. If none receive a majority, a runoff will be held on May 17. Winners will advance to the June 7 general election where they will also face independent candidates.

Seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor are former Warren County District 2 Supervisor John Ferguson, 63; Eric Rawlings, 42, who ran unsuccessfully for the nomination four years ago; Warren County District 3 Supervisor Charles Selmon, 44, and first-time office seeker John Shorter, 38, a contractor with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The winner will face Republican Shirley Newman Smollen, 69, and independent candidates Mayor Laurence Leyens, 40, and former Mayor Joe Loviza, 65.

In the North Ward primary, incumbent Gertrude Young, 49, is being challenged for the Democratic nomination by Warren County District 2 Supervisor Michael Mayfield, 47, and Rodney Dillamar, 45, a convenience store owner.

Independent candidates in that race are city employee Vickie Bailey, 36, and construction worker Tommie Rawlings, 41. The Republican in that race is Carl Yelverton, 58, a security officer.

In the South Ward, former Vicksburg police officer DaVon Grey, 46, and local hair dresser Pam Johnson, 39, are seeking the nomination and a chance to unseat incumbent Sid Beauman, 57, a Republican seeking his second term. There are no independent candidates in that race.

While Saturday is the deadline to register for primary voting, voter registration will remain open until May 6 to enroll voters for the general election.