By JoAnne Norton
Picayune Item

Two candidates have filed for spots on the general election ballot to fill a vacancy on the Picayune Separate Municipal School District’s Board of Trustees. The vacancy was the result of a change in state law moving school board elections to the same date as general elections.
The deadline for qualifying candidates to file petitions with the Circuit Clerk’s Office is 5 p.m. Friday.
The two candidates for the position so far are Jacob “Jake” Smith and Tim Craft, according to the clerk’s office.
The vacancy was created during the last state legislative session when school board elections were moved to November’s general election. Jimmy Hancock’s term on the Picayune School Board ended in February, and the seat he once held has remained vacant since, leaving the board with four members.
Formerly, school board elections were held in March.
Even after the winner of the Nov. 8 vote takes the seat, the Picayune School Board will be a member short again beginning in February 2017, when Frank Feeley’s term expires. Only two Picayune School Board seats are filled by voters; the other three are appointed by the Picayune City Council.
Friday is also the deadline for circuit clerk offices statewide to compile lists of voter names to be purged from county rolls. County election commission members will meet on Monday to complete the process.
Absentee ballot applications also will be available for the November election starting Friday.