‘Petesy’ Smith seeking 2nd term on commission

Published 9:52 pm Saturday, October 13, 2012

Patricia “Petesy” Peterson Smith has announced her candidacy for Warren County Election Commission in District 1.

Smith, 67, the incumbent, is opposed on the Nov. 6 general election ballot by Jan Whatley, a poll manager in the district.

First elected in 2008, Smith also is a former Warren County supervisor and has been active on the Warren County Republican Executive Committee and was a charter member of Warren County Republican Women.

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Smith, a family law attorney, also is a third-generation Warren County resident and graduated from H.V. Cooper High School. She holds degrees from Mississippi State University, Tulane University and Mississippi College School of Law.

Smith counts purging about 1,700 voters to inactive status for failing to vote in more than five years as an accomplishment of her first term. State and federal election law mandates ineligible voters be removed from voter rolls before primary and general elections.

The commission enrolls voters, assigns polling places, certifies non-party candidates, conducts all general and special elections and certifies results to the Secretary of State’s Office. Members of the panel are elected every four years during the presidential election cycle.