Tippah County Ballot: What’s on the Nov. 3 Election
Tippah County voters go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, and the Tippah County ballot holds more than the high-profile U.S. Senate race. Voters will also choose a congressman, several judges, and, in District 1, a county election commissioner from a four-person field. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Here is a rundown of what voters will see, plus the last chances to vote absentee in person before Election Day.
Federal Races on the Tippah County Ballot
- U.S. Senate: Incumbent Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith faces Democrat Scott Colom, the district attorney for Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and Noxubee counties, and independent Ty Pinkins, a Vicksburg attorney and military veteran.
- U.S. House, 1st Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Trent Kelly is opposed by Democrat Cliff Johnson and Libertarian Johnny Baucom.
The Senate seat has drawn national attention, with campaign visits to North Mississippi in recent weeks. Tippah County is in the 1st District, which Kelly has represented since 2015.
Judicial Races: Circuit and Chancery Court
Judicial races in Mississippi are nonpartisan, so no party labels appear next to these names. Several judges who serve Tippah County are unopposed, but two local seats are contested:
- Circuit Court, District 3, Place 2: Bart M. Adams, Shirley C. Byers and Steven Patrick Jubera
- Chancery Court, District 18, Place 1: Jenessa Carter Hicks, Sarah J. Liddy, Jennifer L. Shackelford and Michael Watts
- Circuit Court, District 3, Place 1: Gray Tollison (unopposed)
- Circuit Court, District 3, Place 3: Kent E. Smith (unopposed)
- Chancery Court, District 18, Place 2: Bob Whitwell (unopposed)
- Mississippi Court of Appeals, District 1: Derek Dewayne Hopson Jr. and John Weddle are running for one seat; Donna M. Barnes is unopposed for another.
The 3rd Circuit Court District covers Tippah, Benton, Union, Marshall, Lafayette, Calhoun and Chickasaw counties. Nonpartisan judicial races require a majority of the vote. If no candidate in a crowded field gets more than half, the top two advance to a runoff on Dec. 1.
District 1 Election Commissioner
Voters in Tippah County’s supervisor District 1 will also pick an election commissioner. Larry “Doc” Dollar, Stephanie Ford, Tony Jones and Leta Kelley are on the ballot for the nonpartisan post. Election commissioners help oversee voter rolls, poll workers and the conduct of elections in the county. Only District 1 voters will see this race.
Last Days for In-Person Absentee Voting
Voters who qualify to vote absentee can still do so in person at the Tippah County Circuit Clerk’s office in Ripley:
- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, Oct. 30
- 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 31, the final day
Mississippi requires voters to show an acceptable photo ID at the polls. Questions about precincts, absentee ballots or the Nov. 3 election can go to the Circuit Clerk’s office at 662-837-7370.
Related: Tippah, Benton absentee voting ends Oct. 31 at noon and Mississippi’s 2026 general election set for Nov. 3.
Source: The Southern Sentinel; Mississippi Secretary of State candidate qualifying list
