Voters in Warren and surrounding counties should be greeted by partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the upper 60s and a slight chance of rain for Tuesday’s races for Congress, school board, justice court and the state appellate court.

Absentee ballots cast totaled approximately 150, Circuit Clerk Shelly Ashley Palmertree said Saturday, the last day for early voting. Mailed-in ballots received by Monday will add to the total, she said.

In 2006, the most recent federal midterm election cycle, turnout in Warren County was about 33 percent. In 2008, the last presidential election cycle, turnout hit 58 percent and set a record for the total number of ballots cast.

Rolls show 30,401 people are registered to vote in Warren County, a gain of 95 voters since the June primaries but nearly 18 percent fewer on the rolls than two years ago.

Polls in Mississippi are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tops on the ballot in Warren County’s 22 precincts and several area counties is the race for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District, where 17-year incumbent U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson faces Republican Bill Marcy and Reform Party candidate Ashley Norwood. The Delta-based district covers parts of 23 counties along the Mississippi River from Tunica to Jefferson and stretches east to Attala.

The state’s other House Democrats are in tossup races against a pair of state lawmakers. Incumbent Travis Childers faces state Sen. Alan Nunnelee in the northern 1st District and 21-year incumbent Gene Taylor faces state Rep. Steven Palazzo in the southern 4th District. Republican incumbent Gregg Harper is a favorite against Democrat Joel Gill to hold the 3rd District, which spans the state’s midsection and includes most of the Jackson suburbs. The three races also feature a combined 10 third-party or independent candidates.

Two seats are open on the Vicksburg Warren School District Board of Trustees, with one contested. District 1 Trustee Jerry Boland is opposed by Bryan Pratt, who lost a close race to Boland six years ago. In District 5, Sally Bullard is unopposed for the post vacated by Tommy Shelton.

Seven candidates are running for justice court in Warren County’s city-based central district — incumbent judge and funeral director James E. Jefferson Jr.; Vicksburg Police Sgt. Beverly Prentiss; retired police Lt. Dora Smith; former constable Rudolph Walker; former U.S. Navy officer Henry Phillips; and NRoute operations manager Audrey Jones Jackson and Lester R. Smith.

For Mississippi Court of Appeals judge in District 2, incumbent Tyree Irving is challenged by Vicksburg attorney Ceola James. Warren is among 24 counties deciding the winner in the race.

Circuit Court judges Isadore Patrick and M. James Chaney and Chancellor Vicki Roach Barnes appear unopposed for their respective posts in Circuit District 9, which covers Warren, Issaquena and Sharkey counties, and Chancery District 9, which includes those plus Humphreys, Sunflower and Washington counties. Also unopposed this year is County Court Judge Johnny Price.

Additional races in Claiborne County include three contests for spots on the school board and election commissioner in District 5. For District 1 school board, incumbent Johnny Brown is opposed by Gwendolyn D. Lucas and Judy Banks Whitehead. Janice Walker-Gray is unopposed in District 2, as is Jimmy L. Curry in District 4. Dewayne Thomas is also unopposed for the election commission post.

In Sharkey, voters will also choose a board member for the South Delta School District 4 seat, where Dorsey Johnson is opposed by Deborah Williams. Paul Cappel Hollis is unopposed for the county’s seat on the Board of Mississippi Levee Commissioners.