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Hey All. First, thanks for all those who got out to vote in both the Primary Election and Runoff Election. We here at the Bolivar County Circuit Clerk's office understand the time, effort, and responsibility it takes to vote. We value your commitment and commend you.
Over the past two decades, the statewide and countywide primaries experienced some of the largest voter turnouts in Mississippi history. However, for the past primaries (2015, 2019 and 2023), Bolivar County, like other Mississippi counties has seen constant decline in voter participation. For varied reasons, voters are forgoing the polls. Compared to the Civil Rights years of voting, the recent decades’ numbers are quite staggering. Here, we see Bolivar County’s Primary Voter Turnouts in just the last eight years from the highest-voted race which was the (Democratic) Sheriff’s Race each year:
Year -- Voted
2015 – 9261 voted
2019 – 7470 voted
2023 – 6145 voted
The numbers indicate a staggering decline in voter turnout in each countywide primary. These numbers exclude approximately 7000 republican votes. Therefore, Bolivar County voted approximately 13,000 out of the 21,000 registered to vote. Voter Registration has somewhat maintained growth.
There is some good news though. The Bolivar County Election Commission is diligent in working on the voter roll. The county’s “active” Voter Roll is a balance of removing voters who are deceased as well as those who move away from Bolivar County. In the recent years, though voter registration is constant; we are seeing increased numbers of deaths as well as citizens moving from Bolivar County; hence, decline in voter turnout. We believe the problem is not primarily Voter Registration, but Getting Out The Vote of those who are registered. The November 7th General Election will be more indicative of exactly where the county is considering there is only one ballot.
Truly,
Judith Thompson
Bolivar County Circuit Clerk
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