County Election Commission preparing for primary elections
Posted on Thursday, May 8, 2008
BENTONVILLE - The Benton County Election Commission is gearing up for a big day May 20, when numerous partisan races, as well as nonpartisan judicial races, will go before voters.
The former include Republican primary contests for county judge, county sheriff, county coroner, county tax collector and others. The latter include races for a seat on the Arkansas Court of Appeals and others.
The three-member commission, responsible for all elections in Benton County, has been preparing for May 20 for a long time, and things are coming together, said Jim McCarthy, county election coordinator.
There are two means of voting in the county, utilizing either electronic voting machines or paper ballots, and both are occupying the commission's preparations as primary day draws near, McCarthy said.
Democrats have no contested races but will hold a primary May 20, just as county Republicans will. Many contested partisan races will be on the GOP ballot that day.
On the same day, contested but nonpartisan judicial elections will name many judges.
Runoffs for the partisan elections, if needed, will be held June 10, and runoffs for the nonpartisan elections will be held Nov. 4.
"We're putting together all the rest of the precinct machines now (in addition to some being used for early voting ), and doing a little logic and accuracy testing, and making sure we've got all the electronic portion of it done," he said.
In the county, some 160 electronic voting machines will be in use May 20. All the county's precincts will be voting, at some 64 polling places, McCarthy said.
For early voting, there are electronic voting machines already in use: 16 at the county clerk's Bentonville office; 10 in the clerk's Rogers office; and six in the clerk's Siloam Springs office, McCarthy said.
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