Since 1836, on election days Arkansans have cast their ballots by traveling to their precinct.
But with a vote by the Arkansas General Assembly in 2013, the state became the ninth in the nation to adopt permissive use of vote centers, an alternative to traditional, neighborhood-based precincts.
Kelly Boyd, Chief of Staff for Secretary of State Mark Martin, says some voters have already participated in a voter center without being aware of it.
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Four years after the Arkansas General Assembly passed legislation to permit the use of vote centers, Boyd says 12 counties have implemented the new process, with Boone being the state’s first.
He says the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
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Boyd says while the intent of vote centers is increased turnout through convenience for voters, there are other advantages to the new process. But he stresses, converting to voter centers does not require less locations.
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Boyd says an additional 10 counties are considering the move to vote centers, including one in the Twin Lakes Area.
In our next report, we’ll hear about planning and discussion regarding vote centers in Baxter and Marion counties.
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