How to Vote Locally Published Oct. 1, 2010 By Second Lt. Adam McClish Assistant Voting Assistance Officer COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- A lot of focus has been put on military and absentee voting the past few months. However, since more than half of the employees on CAFB are civilians, it seems only fair to shed some light on how the local election process works and, as a civilian and resident of Columbus, you should go about voting. First, in order to vote in any election you must be registered and be at least 18 years old by the date of the election. In Columbus, you may register to vote by mail or in person. For city residents, Voter Registration is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in City Hall, located at 523 Main Street. If you wish to register by mail, you may pick up a form at City Hall or the public library, or you may download one from the Secretary of State's Website at: www.sos.state.ms.us/elections/VoterRegistration/. Forms can be mailed to: City of Columbus - Office of Registrar P.O. Box 1408 Columbus, MS 39703-1408 If you register by mail, your application must be postmarked at least 30 days prior to the election in which you want to vote. If you register in person, you must register at least 30 days prior to the election in which you want to vote. If you have previously registered, you generally remain registered unless you move or are no longer eligible to vote. If you have moved, you can change your address and update your registration. After registering, you will be given your precinct name and the location of that precinct's polling place. It is essential to update your registration with your current address information, even if have moved within the city, because your precinct may have changed. Your city precinct and voting location is NOT the same location as for county and state elections. Your voter registration card from the City will list your assigned polling place. If for some reason you will not be available to vote on day of the general election, you have the option to vote early. October 30 is the final day to vote early, please use the contact information at the end of this article for more information. If you are unsure of what Ward you reside in, please visit www.thecityofcolumbusms.org/ for a detailed map. Polling places for City precincts include: WARD 1 Mitchell School - 1315 15th Street South William Washington Terrace - 2201 8th Avenue South National Guard Armory - 111 Fabritek Dr WARD 2 Fairview School - 225 Airline Road Columbus Fire Station Number One - 205 7th Street South WARD 3 Old Volunteer Fire Station - 74 Wilcutt Road Columbus High School - 215 Hemlock WARD 4 Hunt School - 920 20th Street North Lee Middle School - 1815 Military Road WARD 5 MUW Carrier Lodge - 1st Street South Union School - 1425 10th Avenue North WARD 6 Brandon Central Office - 2630 McArthur Drive More information for Columbus residents and civilians about voting can be obtained by contacting City Registrar Brenda Williams. Brenda Williams Office of the City Registrar 662-328-2381 For military members, please visit www.fvap.gov or contact your Voting Assistance Office at vote@columbus.af.mil.