Voters in three Memphis City Council districts put the 2023 city election year to rest Thursday, Nov. 16, as they go to the polls in three runoff races.

Districts 2, 3 and 7 are all electing new council representatives after no one candidate received a majority of votes in the October city election.

The districts take in 42% of the city’s 373,091 voters.

Polls are open Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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There were 3,613 early and absentee ballots cast during the two-week early voting period. A little less than half of those — 1,786 — were cast in District 2.

There were 928 early and absentee voters in the District 7 runoff and 899 in District 3.

The turnout represents 2.2% of the 157,534 voters across the three districts.

It’s more than the 2,139 early votes in the 2019 council runoffs, when two council seats were at stake, and less than the 6,577 early votes in 2015, when five seats went to runoffs.

The three races will determine if the 13-member council that takes office in January has five or six new members.

Three new members — Yolanda Cooper Sutton, Philip Spinosa and Janika White — were elected in October.

Here’s a glance at the races on Thursday’s runoff ballot.

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District 2

The district covers parts of East Memphis and Cordova. It is currently represented by Frank Colvett, who is term-limited and can’t seek reelection.

The runoff contenders are:

Jerri Green is a senior policy adviser to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and an attorney. She also was the Democratic nominee for state House District 83 in 2020.

Scott McCormick is a former Memphis City Council member and Memphis-Shelby County Schools board member.

By the October certified election totals, McCormick had 38.9% of the vote to Green’s 26.6% in a race with six candidates.

District 3

The district covers parts of Whitehaven, Hickory Hill and South Memphis. It is currently represented by Patrice Robinson, who is also term-limited.

The runoff contenders are:

James Kirkwood is a retired Memphis Police colonel and chairman of the city’s Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board, which state law recently abolished.

Pearl Walker is an activist and the founder of I Love Whitehaven Neighborhood and Business Association. She ran unsuccessfully for the District 6 council seat four years ago.

By the October certified election totals, Walker finished with 27.8% of the vote and Kirkwood with 24.3% in a five-candidate field.

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District 7

The district covers parts of Frayser, North Memphis and Downtown including Mud Island.

The runoff contenders are:

Michalyn Easter-Thomas is the current council member representing the district and is seeking a second term. She is director of education initiatives and strategic partnerships for the Memphis River Parks Partnership and a former Memphis-Shelby County Schools teacher and instructional facilitator.

Jimmy Hassan owns a men’s clothing store on Hollywood Street near Chelsea Avenue. Hassan ran for the council seat in 2019 as well.

By the October certified election totals, Easter-Thomas got 45.1% of the vote, and Hassan got 16.8% in a field of seven.