Who'll show up to vote on Tuesday?

Less than 20 percent of the county’s registered voters turned out for the June 15 primaries, which suggests turnout could be even lower for the runoff.
Advance voting is under way at the Jackson County Administrative Building, Jefferson, through this week.

Voting will take place from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday in all Jackson County voting precincts. Both the South Minish precinct (at the J. Nolan Spear Public Safety, Complex, South Elm Street) and the North Minish precinct (at the Commerce Recreation Department’s Carson Street office) will be open.

There are only two local races, both on the Republican ballot.

Front-runner Hunter Bicknell and Ron Johnson will fight for the chairmanship of the board of commissioners. Bicknell led Johnson 2,393-1,757 in the GOP primary. Both are from West Jackson. Tony Beatty finished a close third at 1,602 votes.

In the district attorney’s case, Donna Sikes faces Brad Smith. Sikes polled 5,129 votes to Smith’s 4,820, while incumbent Rick Bridgeman came in third with 4,666. Sikes is from Jefferson, Smith from Barrow County, and voters in Jackson, Banks and Barrow counties will participate in the runoff election.

The winners of those two races face no Democratic opposition in the fall.