Early Voting in Arkansas Preferential Primary Begins Today
Early voting began today for the May 20th Preferential Primaries and Non Partisan Judicial General Election. Secretary of State Charlie Daniels said, "Early voting will be available statewide from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday through 5 p.m. on May 19, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays." Each county will provide at least one early voting location, usually at the county courthouse, and some will offer additional locations. Voters who participate in the elections will have a choice of three ballots: Democratic, Republican, or nonpartisan judicial. However, nonpartisan judicial races will also be listed on the partisan ballots. Daniels identified that voters may vote in any party’s primary without regard to how, or if, they voted in the Feb. 5 presidential preferential primary.
Daniels says he's not expecting the high voter interest that the state saw in the February Fifth primary, which featured a 35% voter turnout. About 70,000 of the more than 544,00 voters who cast a ballot in February did so through early voting. Daniels says that with few high-profile races capturing the state's attention, he doubts the turnout among the state's roughly 1.6 million voters will be as high. The election will also feature three races for seats on the Arkansas Court of Appeals and based on filings as least 20 races for Arkansas District Circuit Judge.
Tight legislative races may be hard to find. Of 118 legislative seats that are on the ballot this year, there are only 18 contested Democratic primaries and 9 Republican contests. Turnout may also be affected by the lack of any contested primaries for the state's four incumbent congressmen and the U.S. Senate seat held by Mark Pryor, who didn't draw any major party opponents for the primary or general election. In few counties will primaries draw attention for local county offices.
Among the high-profile primary contests are Senate District 33, which pits Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, against former state Rep. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock. Sen. Jim Luker, D-Wynne, also faces a primary fight in the Democratic primary from Rep. Denny Sumpter, D-West Memphis. State House District 99, which includes Benton County, features a Republican primary fight between Vickey Boozman, the widow of former state Health Director Fay Boozman, and Tim Summers, who sits on the county's quorum court.
House District 29, which includes Saline County, will feature primary contests on both sides. Scott Smith, a senior managing partner of SKB Partners in Bryant and Mike Beckwith, a Benton business owner, are competing for the Democratic nomination in the district. The Republican contest features University of Arkansas at Little Rock political scientist Ann Clemmer, Acxiom Corp. analyst J. Brett Hooton and former Bryant City Council member Bud Lidzy.
State House District 81 in Baxter County, has a hotly contested primary fight between former quorum court member and former state senator and business owner Gary Hunter of Mountain Home and a senior district representative for former Congressmen Tim and Asa Hutchinson for and Arkansas State Univ Mountain Home associate chancellor Karen Hopper of Lakeview. It is anticipated that many Democrats and Independents will vote in the Republican primary because of the Hunter-Hopper race. In Nov., the winner will face both a Democrat and Independent candidate. The seat was previously held by Johnny Key who wins without opposition the District 1 Arkansas Senate seat.
Tags: Arkansas, early voting, nonjudicial election, preferential primary, primary, Secretary of State, voting To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Daniels says he's not expecting the high voter interest that the state saw in the February Fifth primary, which featured a 35% voter turnout. About 70,000 of the more than 544,00 voters who cast a ballot in February did so through early voting. Daniels says that with few high-profile races capturing the state's attention, he doubts the turnout among the state's roughly 1.6 million voters will be as high. The election will also feature three races for seats on the Arkansas Court of Appeals and based on filings as least 20 races for Arkansas District Circuit Judge.
Tight legislative races may be hard to find. Of 118 legislative seats that are on the ballot this year, there are only 18 contested Democratic primaries and 9 Republican contests. Turnout may also be affected by the lack of any contested primaries for the state's four incumbent congressmen and the U.S. Senate seat held by Mark Pryor, who didn't draw any major party opponents for the primary or general election. In few counties will primaries draw attention for local county offices.
Among the high-profile primary contests are Senate District 33, which pits Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, against former state Rep. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock. Sen. Jim Luker, D-Wynne, also faces a primary fight in the Democratic primary from Rep. Denny Sumpter, D-West Memphis. State House District 99, which includes Benton County, features a Republican primary fight between Vickey Boozman, the widow of former state Health Director Fay Boozman, and Tim Summers, who sits on the county's quorum court.
House District 29, which includes Saline County, will feature primary contests on both sides. Scott Smith, a senior managing partner of SKB Partners in Bryant and Mike Beckwith, a Benton business owner, are competing for the Democratic nomination in the district. The Republican contest features University of Arkansas at Little Rock political scientist Ann Clemmer, Acxiom Corp. analyst J. Brett Hooton and former Bryant City Council member Bud Lidzy.
State House District 81 in Baxter County, has a hotly contested primary fight between former quorum court member and former state senator and business owner Gary Hunter of Mountain Home and a senior district representative for former Congressmen Tim and Asa Hutchinson for and Arkansas State Univ Mountain Home associate chancellor Karen Hopper of Lakeview. It is anticipated that many Democrats and Independents will vote in the Republican primary because of the Hunter-Hopper race. In Nov., the winner will face both a Democrat and Independent candidate. The seat was previously held by Johnny Key who wins without opposition the District 1 Arkansas Senate seat.
Tags: Arkansas, early voting, nonjudicial election, preferential primary, primary, Secretary of State, voting To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
Posted by Bill Smith at 12:01 PM - Post Link
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