By David Howell

    Two candidates, both with experience serving as aldermen in Como, will compete in Tuesday’s special election for Mayor.

    Everett Hill and Mark Lipscomb qualified to run in the non-partisan election. Hill currently serves as Ward 4 Alderman. Lipscomb previously served as Alderman at Large.

    The special election was called after the January 9 death of Judy Sumner. Sumner was serving the first year of her second term at the time of her death, having been elected in 2005 and again in 2009. Tuesday’s winner will serve the remainder of Sumner’s term, through July 2013, according to Como City Clerk Scott Rhines.

    Votes will be cast at the former senior citizen’s building, located on Main Street in Como, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

    Rhines reported there are approximately 950 registered voters in Como, and more than 500 voted in the 2009 Municipal Election. City Hall will be open until noon Saturday for absentee voting, according to Rhines. Approximately 15 absentee ballots have been mailed out and three voters have voted in City Hall, Rhines also told The Southern Reporter.

    Some registered voters are eligible to vote absentee due to age, health or work demands, or their affiliation with the U.S. Armed Forces according to the Secretary of State website.

Pollworker Training

    Pollworker training for the election was held yesterday at the senior citizens building on Main Street.

    Anyone interested in serving as a poll worker on Election Day must complete the training.

    The poll worker training wasconducted by Rhines and Como Municipal Election Commissioners Judy Gravatt, Louise Brown and Teresa Wallace.

    Six pollworkers were selected after the training.

    “You have to be trained in order to be selected,” Rhines reiterated.