Howard County
Early voting for the 2018 General Election is less than a week away.
Early voting will be from Monday, Oct. 22 thru Monday, Nov. 5, and election day will be Tuesday, Nov. 6. Early voting in Howard County will take place only at the Carter Day Training Center, on N. Main St., Nashville.
Howard County voters who prefer to wait until election day to cast their votes may go to any of the six voting centers in the county, no matter where their home precinct is. Voters must show photo identification.
Hours for early voting will be 8-6 Monday-Friday, and 10-4 on the two Saturdays before election day. Early voting will end at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5, the day before election day.
Voters will select:
US Congress, Dist. 4
Governor
Lt. Governor
Attorney General
Secretary of State
State Treasurer
Auditor of State
Land Commissioner
State Senator
State Representative
Also on the various ballots for parts of the county are city and county offices, a nonpartisan judicial election, five constitutional issues and one county ordinance concerning marijuana.
Nashville voters have a mayoral race and contests for city council seats.
Registered Howard County voters can go to any of the six voting centers and cast a ballot on election day.
The voting places for election day include:
• Umpire Community Center.
• Dierks Community Building.
• Carter Day Training Center in Nashville.
• Howard County Fairgrounds, Nashville.
• Mineral Springs at First United Methodist Church.
• Tollette at the Church of God.
Pike County
Registered voters across Pike County will soon be able to participate in the 2018 general election.
While election day will be held at the four voting centers — Carmen Hendrix Building in Delight, Bainum Library and Learning Center in Glenwood, Bethlehem Baptist Church in Kirby and the Municipal Building in Mufreesboro — on Tuesday, Nov. 6, voters also have other opportunities to cast their ballots.
Early voting will be held at the Pike County Clerk’s Office, 112 N. Washington Avenue Suite A in Murfreesboro, beginning Oct. 22 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. Additionally, the office will be open to voters on Saturday, Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The day before election day, Monday, Nov. 5, the office will close at 5 p.m. instead of 6 p.m.
For voters on the north side of the county interested in early voting, polls will be open at the Bainum Library and Learning Center, 128 East Broadway in Glenwood, on Monday-Friday, Oct. 29 – Nov. 3, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, there is two Saturday dates available on Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Any voter wishing to receive an absentee ballot must have their form submitted to the Pike County Clerk’s office by Oct. 30 for mailing purposes, otherwise having until Nov. 5 to submit their application for ballot pickup by themselves or designated bearer. Those who choose the latter option must have their ballots returned to the Clerk’s office by 5 p.m. on Nov. 5.
There is no regulations on who can receive an absentee ballot, and the method provides the only format in which a paper ballot will be utilized, for those who do not wish to vote by electronic machine.
For more information on absentee ballots, call the Pike County Clerk’s office at (870) 285-2743.
While the deadline has passed for new voters to register to participate in the election, voters who have been registered within the State of Arkansas in another county, but wish to vote in Pike County, have until Nov. 2 to move their registration.
Additionally, to simplify the voting process, County Clerk Sandy Campbell requests that any registered voter who has moved since last participating in an election to contact her office with their new address.
With the Voter ID law having been upheld in court for the Nov. 6 election, voters will be asked to present a valid ID, such as a driver’s license, student ID or federal or government photo ID, in order to vote.
Those without a photo identification will be forced to vote provisionally, however an ID can be obtained for free at the Clerk’s office to relieve the issue.
Campbell also encourages voters to visit www.voterview.org to review the five state constitutional issues on the ballot so as to be informed before voting, as the text of the issues can be lengthy to read on screen while participating in the election. The measures include civil lawsuits, voter ID, term limits, casino gaming and the Arkansas minimum wage. Registered voters can also preview their individual ballot for all races at the website.
“Being an informed voter will speed up the process and cut down on waiting in lines on election day,” Campbell said.
The 2018 general election will feature state races including US Congress and State Supreme Court as well as Arkansas Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Auditor of State and Commissioner of State Lands.
More localized contested races will feature the following for applicable voters:
District 19 State Representative — Jeremy Ross and Rep. Justin Gonzalez
Pike County Judge — Judge Dewight Mack (D) and Keith Couch (I)
Pike County Sheriff and Collector — Roger “Bimbo” Flemens (R), James Dewight Cogburn (I) and Travis Hill (D)
Justice of the Peace, District 3 — Seth Henry Kirkham (R) and Ricky Buck (D)
Mayor of Daisy — Lisa Cogburn and Ronnie Partee
Mayor of Glenwood — Sharon Wisener Noble and Billy “B.T” Smith
Glenwood Alderman, SW Position 2 — Buddy Green and Jim Arrington
Glenwood Alderman, SW Position 2 — Brenda Driggers and Karen Baker
Delight Alderman, Position 2 — Valerie Wingfield, Bobby Robinson and Tom Wilson
If any of the contested races are forced into a runoff, it shall be held on Dec. 4.
Ballot Issues
Voters around the state will have five non-candidate items on their General Election ballots, but voters in Howard County will see six.
The extra one is a county-wide ordinance to prohibit the growing and dispensing of medical marijuana in the county. The item is on the ballot because local organizers succeeded in getting enough signatures locally. In other counties it is legal to grow and to dispense medical marijuana by prescription.
The marijuana item is at the bottom of the General Election ballot. Voters will vote either for or against the prohibition.
Five ballot items
Other issues on the General Election ballot would amend the Arkansas Constitution.
Issue No. 1 — “An Amendment Concerning Civil Lawsuits and the Powers of the General Assembly and Supreme Court to Adopt Court Rules.”
The issue establishes maximum amounts for lawsuits; affects attorney fee percentages; allows the legislature to change the limits without a vote by the people; and lowers the number of legislative votes it takes to change rules.
Issue No. 2 — “A Constitutional Amendment Adding as a Qualification to Vote that a Voter Present Certain Valid Photographic Identification When Casting a Ballot in Person or Casting an Absentee Ballot.”
The issue requires the state legislature to pass a law requiring voter ID, and to establish which ID voters may use. Also requires the state to furnish at no charge a suitable ID.
Issue No. 3 — “Arkansas Term Limits Amendment.”
This issue shortens term limits in the House and in the Senate, and prohibits legislators from changing term limits.
Issue No. 4 — “An Amendment to Require Four Licenses to be Issued for Casino Gaming at Casinos, One Each in in Crittenden (to Southland Racing Corporation), Garland (to Oaklawn Jockey Club, Inc.), Pope and Jefferson Counties.”
The issue would permit casinos and casino-type gambling in certain areas.
Issue No. 5 — “An Act to Increase the Arkansas Minimum Wage.”
This issue would increase minimum wage from $8.50 to $9.25 per hour on Jan. 1, 2019; then to $10 a year later; and to $11 on Jan. 1, 2021.
