In the wake of Election Day, Amite County’s school board race is too close to call as election officials continue to count absentee ballots.
James C. Copeland had 584 votes (53%) while Janice Jackson Lyons claimed 514 votes (47%). With around 1,205 absentee ballots that have yet to be processed, it is still anyone’s race.
As of Wednesday morning, election officials counted 10 of the 21 precincts’ absentee votes.
Mike Randolph won Supreme Court position three in District 2 with no opposition. All five Amite County election commissioners ran unopposed as well, with Annette Wicker winning District 1, Vergia Tobias-Bradley taking District 2, Cynthia W. Slay claiming District 3, Jeanna Williams grabbing District 4 and Frank L. Noto winning District 5.
Congressman Micheal Guest took the majority in Amite County with 3,687 votes (65%) to his opponent Dot Benford’s 2,027 votes (35%). Guest won the majority in all counties in District 3, solidifying his second term.
In the Senate race, Cindy Hyde-Smith took Amite County with 3,619 (61%) of the vote to Democratic candidate Mike Espy’s 2,230 (38%). Hyde-Smith secured the remainder of the state, cinching her first reelection.
Amite County, along with the state, approved all three initiatives on this year’s ballot, with the legalization of medical marijuana getting 3,384 (62%) of Amite County’s votes and Initiative 65 beating 65A with 3,331 votes (74%).
Amite County had a tight race on the referendum to change the design of the state flag. While the change saw 71% of the state’s voters approve it, it got 3,369 votes (58%) and 2,477 (42%) against it in Amite.
The provision in the state Constitution that says a statewide candidate for office must win the majority of the state’s 122 House districts as well as the popular to claim victory was supported in Amite County with 4,290 votes (76%) of voters for it and 1,354 votes (24%) against removing it.
President Donald Trump secured Amite County with 3,781 (63%) of the vote to Democratic candidate Joe Biden’s 2,114 votes (35%). The presidential race is still too close to call nationwide as early votes and absentee ballots are being tallied in battleground states such as Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
