DeSoto County voters will see a long list of DeSoto County judicial races on the November 3 general election ballot, from the Mississippi Court of Appeals down to Justice Court. The county’s official candidate listing shows contested races for circuit judge, chancery judge, and appeals court, and in-person absentee voting is already underway at the historic courthouse in Hernando.
All judicial races in Mississippi are nonpartisan, so no party label will appear next to these candidates’ names. Some seats are elected countywide. Others appear only on ballots in certain precincts.
Circuit Court and Chancery Court Candidates
DeSoto County voters are in Circuit Court District 21 and Chancery Court District 17. According to the county election office, these candidates are on the ballot:
Circuit Court, District 21
Place One: Joseph “Jody” Neyman and Gordon Shaw Jr.
Place Two: Craig Treadway (unopposed)
Place Three: W. Douglas Hollowell III (unopposed)
Place Four, Subdistrict 21-1: Lucius Edwards and John Hughes. This race appears only on ballots in select precincts.
Place Four is a new circuit judgeship. It hears cases from across the county, but only voters in the precincts that make up Subdistrict 21-1 will choose who fills it.
Chancery Court, District 17
Place One: Vicki Daniels (unopposed)
Place Two: Elizabeth “Beth” Owens and William “Ty” Scott
Place Three, Subdistrict 17-1: Gwen Baptist and Malenda Harris Meacham. This race also appears only in select precincts.
Circuit judges handle felony criminal cases and major civil lawsuits. Chancery judges hear divorce, child custody, estate, land, and guardianship matters.
Court of Appeals, County Court, and Other Local Races
DeSoto County voters are also in Court of Appeals District 1. Derek Dewayne Hopson Jr. and John Weddle are running for Position One, and Donna M. Barnes is the only candidate listed for Position Two.
Further down the ballot:
County Court Judge, Place One: Allen B. Couch Jr.
Justice Court Judge, District 1 (select precincts): Robert “Billy” Johnson and James Earl Woodard
Special Election, County Attorney: Tori Williams
School Board, District 5 (select precincts): Charles Barton and Rebeca Tello
The judicial races will share the ballot with federal contests. For U.S. Senate, the candidates are Scott Colom (Democrat), Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican), and Ty Pinkins (Independent). In the 1st Congressional District, Johnny Baucom (Libertarian), Cliff Johnson (Democrat), and Trent Kelly (Republican) are running for the U.S. House.
How to Vote Absentee in Person in Hernando
In-person absentee voting for the November 3 election opened September 21 at the DeSoto County Circuit Clerk’s Office, inside the historic courthouse at 2535 Highway 51 South in Hernando. Under Mississippi law, absentee voting is open only to voters who meet the state’s eligibility rules.
Weekdays: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday
Saturday, Oct. 24: 8 a.m. to noon
Saturday, Oct. 31: 8 a.m. to noon. This is the deadline to vote absentee in person.
The county’s online polling-place map lets voters enter their address to see their precinct, their polling location, and a sample ballot. That’s the easiest way to check whether a subdistrict race such as Circuit Place Four, Chancery Place Three, Justice Court District 1, or School Board District 5 will be on your ballot. Sample ballots and a map of the chancery and circuit subdistricts are posted on the county’s Elections page.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3.
