Voting is officially under way in the runoff election between Kevin Ford and Dr. Randy Easterling to fill the unexpired term of former state District 54 Rep. Alex Monsour, who resigned his office after winning the South Ward alderman’s seat for the city of Vicksburg in June.

The election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 28, but absentee voting is now open.

Absentee voting will continue Monday through Wednesday this week and Saturday, Nov. 25.

Absentee voting will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday in the circuit clerk’s office on the second floor of the Warren County Courthouse, 1009 Cherry Street.

Ford and Easterling advanced to a runoff after no candidate received at least 50 percent of the vote in the special election Nov. 6. Joe Bonelli finished third in the race and didn’t advance to the runoff.

Incomplete and unofficial returns showed Ford finished first in the three-candidate race with 923, or about 36.5 percent, of the total 2,523 votes cast, to 837, or about 33.1 percent for Easterling. 

Ford won Warren and Yazoo counties, getting 803 votes in Warren and 93 in Yazoo.

He and Easterling tied in Issaquena County with 27 votes each.

District 54 covers part of Vicksburg and the northern and eastern areas of Warren County, and a portion of the northwest part of the county.

The following precincts are included in the house district: all of the Bovina, Culkin, Oak Ridge and Redwood precincts, portions of the Cedar Grove and Kings precincts and all of precinct 3-61, part of Vicksburg Junior High School, all of the Beechwood and Plumbers and Pipefitters precincts, and part of the Tingleville precinct.

Anyone with questions about whether they can vote in the election can call the Warren County Election Commission at 601-638-8875, or the circuit clerk’s office at 601-636-3961.