The two candidates for the newly-redrawn Lamar County School District C are hoping for a good turnout for today’s election, each hoping to gain a majority of the district’s 6,171 registered voters.
Incumbent Jeremy Chance of Purvis and Gladys Parker Rodgers of Lumberton are facing each other in the election. The district was redrawn because the Lamar County and Lumberton schools will be consolidated beginning July 1.
Chance, 38, who is the current board president, said last week he thinks the campaign is going well.
“I’ve had a good response from my Facebook posts,” he said. “I am planning to do another one this week and several next week.”
Chance, a certified registered nurse anesthetist, was appointed to Lamar County School Board in early 2016 and elected in a special election in November 2016. He has two children who attend Purvis Lower Elementary.
Rodgers, 61, is a lifelong Lumberton resident and has two children who graduated from Lumberton High School. She said she has been knocking on doors and telling people about the election.
“It is so amazing out there,” she said. “It has been very encouraging. It’s unusual that a lot of people don’t know about the election. Having it on a Thursday is also unusual.”
Rodgers said she still hopes to a lot of people at the polls today.
“I just want everyone to know that I am out there and I’m running,” she said.
Chance said he hopes to meet with Lumberton residents before the election.
“I feel like the folks down there are wondering who I am, and I’d like to give them the opportunity to ask some questions,” he said. “I know they’re worried about their school. Hopefully, they’ll reach out to me on Facebook or via phone.”
Chance said the number of voters at the polls could be hurt by the timing.
“It’s a really strange day to vote being on a Thursday and the only item in the ticket,” he said.
Lamar County Circuit Clerk Martin Hankins said seven precincts will be used during the District C election.
“The precincts that will be open include all of the Lumberton voters, all of Yawn, all of Baxterville minus a handful of voters and portions of the Greenville, Pine Grove, Purvis and South Purvis precincts,” Hankins said. “All of those precincts will be open, but not everybody will be voting.”
The key to determining if voters are voting in the special Lamar County School Board election is the voter registration card, Hankins said.
“We just finished redrawing the District C lines to include Lumberton because of the school consolidation,” he said. “We mailed out voter registration cards three or four weeks ago. Some voters moved out of the district; some moved in.”
Hankins said if any voters need to make sure they are now residing in District C, they can call the Circuit Courthouse at (601) 794-3470.
The other members of the Lamar County School Board are secretary Deborah Pierce of District A, vice president Buddy Morris of District E, Carolyn Adams of District B and newly-chosen Tony Ingram of District D.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
The District C board term will be from July 1, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2024.
