Hot weather continues to dominate coffee shop conversation around here. But look for the political rhetoric to start heating up over the next few weeks.
People are talking about what political candidate spent money on what project and what county roads got paved, who got hired for what job and what politicians traveled to what event on the taxpayers dollar. They are talking about taxes, our hospital, courts, ballot box integrity and crime.
We hope you know or at least learn quickly which political candidates that are on the ballot set for just a few short weeks from today. We hope you have started to ponder the best man – or woman – for the job.
In six short weeks we go to the polls for primary elections that will basically finalize who is elected to county office.
The political machine that has gotten those tired, old candidates elected year after year is busy tuning up its wheels and will push their candidate because they are afraid of change.
Let's open our eyes. Let's ask some questions. Let's pick the best person to represent us.
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Are you registered to vote?
Have you moved? Have you recently married and changed your name? Has it been a number of years since you last voted? Anyone one of these can create a voting snafu on election day.
Please call the Circuit Clerk's office at 662-624-3014 and see if you are registered to vote. If you don't have a Coahoma County voter registration card they can print you one out in minutes.
We hope our precincts are also run by honest people who will demand voter ID.
Your vote – every vote – is too important to be denied on a technicality.
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The town wag said the recent bout of hot weather was brought on by the hot air from all the political talk around the county over the past couple of weeks.
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Did you know that voter fraud is a crime and punishable by a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $5,000 and from one- to five-years in jail?
Did you know if you accept a donation of $200 from anyone or any organization, both the donor and candidate must report it or be fined up to $3,000 and up to six month in jail?
Did you know that any expenditure of $200 or more in any state or local race must be reported on financial disclosure forms submitted to the Circuit Clerk's office five months out of the year?
Did you know politics is all about votes and money? The more money you spend the more votes you can get.
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The main candidates for our governor race are Republican Tate Reeves and Democrat Brandon Presley and they are basically unopposed in their primaries. I bet we will only have limited number of Republican's vote that ticket in August.
But while many of those Coahoma County Republicans will line up in the Democratic line in August, they will show their true GOP colors in November.
I do think it is neat how several candidates have claimed to be Independent. It gives them a straight shot to the General Election.
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Please study the list of candidates up for elections.
Coahoma County must get rolling if we are ever going to see things get better around here.
We need jobs, we need better roads, we need to get tough on crime and we need people who can read a budget and figure out where to cut and figure out where to spend.
The August Primary is a chance to start something new. The August Primary is your chance to send a message. Summer elections are a chance to vote on the future of Coahoma County.
I'll see you at the polls.
Floyd Ingram is the Editor of your Clarksdale Press Register. He votes in every election and he urges you to do the same.
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