Suffolk News-Herald

Black civic leaders and clergy are expected to vote in a straw poll today to determine which of the black Suffolk Circuit Court clerk candidates would garner the most voter support on Nov. 4.

People voting in the informal election, scheduled for 11 a.m. in Tabernacle Christian Church, 1401 E. Washington St., will be asked to select from the two actively campaigning black candidates, Clinton L. Jenkins and Johnnie F. Edwards Jr.

A third black candidate in the race, Tony M. Brown, has been called for active-duty military service outside the Hampton Roads area.

The winner of the poll will press forward in the race; the loser might be expected to withdraw.

Even if a candidate opts to drop out of the race, his name will remain of the voting ballots, said Patsy Parker, the city voting registrar

&uot;The ballots are already printed and the machines will be programmed and set up on the Sept. 20,&uot; she said. &uot;It’s too late to change them unless someone pays for the expense of doing so.

&uot;If someone drops from the race and someone votes for them, that vote will be counted.&uot;

However, if

someone does withdraw, notices will posted in the voting machines and inserted in the absentee ballots, Parker said.