The Clarion Ledger's Jackson voter guide for the 2022 Midterm Elections

The 2022 Midterm Elections are just days away, and thousands of people in the Jackson area will be headed to their polling places Tuesday to cast their ballots.

What do voters need to know before they vote, and what should they expect to see when they get to their polling place?

When do the polls open and close? Where do I go to vote?

What else is on the ballots:You've heard about the congressional races, but what else will be on the ballot Tuesday in Mississippi?

On Nov. 8, election day in Mississippi, the polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Any voters in line by 7 p.m. can legally cast a ballot.

Per the state's voter ID laws, voters will need a valid form of photo identification in order to vote. A free voter ID card is available, but voters in need of one should hurry as there is an application process. If an application is approved, a voter will receive a receipt which can be used on election day in lieu of the ID card itself, since it takes time to receive the physical card.

Registered voters can find their polling place through the Polling Place Locator on the Mississippi Secretary of State website.

Anyone who experiences difficulty voting notices irregularities or has questions should contact the Elections Division at ElectionsAnswers@sos.ms.gov or 1-800-829-6786.

When and how will results be announced?

Vote tallies will begin trickling in from precincts shortly after the polls close at 7 p.m.

The Clarion Ledger will be following along live in two ways. A vote-count ticker on its homepage will be constantly updated and a live blog will run throughout election day, from the experiences at polling places through to the results being announced.

What races are on the ballot?

Each of the state's four congressional seats is up, with two of them in the Jackson area. Voters will also have their say in a number of judge races, with some of the competitive ones in the state taking place in the capital city.

U.S. House of Representatives, Mississippi District Two

Democrat incumbent Bennie Thompson runs for reelection against Republican opponent Brian Flowers in Mississippi's Second Congressional District. Most Jackson voters will be casting a ballot in this race.

Thompson, the state's highest elected Democrat and only one in Congress, began representing the district in 1993 after winning the special election to replace Mike Espy, who stepped aside to become secretary of agriculture in the Clinton administration. Prior to Congress, Thompson was a teacher, alderman, mayor of Bolton, and Hinds County supervisor. He chairs the House Jan. 6 and homeland security committees.

Flowers is a U.S. Navy veteran who served for more than a decade in the late-1990s and 2000s, achieving the rank of Machinist Mate First Class. Flowers moved to Mississippi in 2014 to work at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. This is his second time challenging Thompson for the seat.

U.S. House of Representatives, Mississippi District Three

Republican incumbent Michael Guest seeks reelection, facing off against Democrat Shuwaski Young in Mississippi's Third Congressional District, which includes parts of Northeast Jackson and the surrounding area. Jackson voters not in district two will be voting in this race.

Guest was first elected to Congress in 2018, replacing a retiring Gregg Harper. Guest is also an attorney who was district attorney for Rankin and Madison counties for more than a decade before his time in Congress. He is currently a ranking member of the House Ethics Committee and also serves on the homeland security and foreign affairs committees. Guest was one of 35 House Republicans who voted to create the Jan. 6 committee, which factored heavily into a primary challenge from Michael Cassidy. Guest ultimately won a runoff with approximately 67% of the vote.

Young served in the Army National Guard from 1999 to 2003 and worked for the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office under Democrat Eric Clark and Republican Delbert Hosemann. He later worked at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, under President Barack Obama, leading the national "If you see something, say something" campaign.

Circuit Court Judge District Seven-One

Incumbent Adrienne Wooten is running against David Linzey for a seat on the District Seven Circuit Court, which encompasses Hinds County.

Wooten was first elected to the circuit court in 2018, after serving as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives. Linzey is currently a Hinds County assistant district attorney.

Circuit Court Judge District Seven-Two

In the race for another seat on the District Seven Circuit Court, four candidates are running in an open race. Debra Gibbs, Bryant Guy, Trent Walker and Wendy Wilson-White are each seeking the votes of Hinds County residents.

Gibbs is an attorney and a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives. Guy, Walker, and Wilson-White are all Jackson-based attorneys.

Chancery Court Judge District Five-Three

There is an open three-way race to be the next Hinds County Chancery Court Judge for District Five-Three. It features Gayla Carpenter-Sanders, Tametrice E. Hodges, and Damon R. Stevenson.

Carpenter-Sanders is the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project. Hodges is a Hinds County assistant district attorney. Stevenson is an attorney who specializes in criminal defense, personal injury, and family law.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson voter guide for the 2022 Midterm Elections on Nov. 8