The second and final week of Early Voting for the upcoming Arkansas Primary Election on May 24th is currently underway and ends Monday at 5:30pm. Voter turnout in Primary Elections is historically low and this year is no exception, according to Baxter County and Circuit Court Clerk Canda Reese. In past primary elections she says a typical turnout is 30% of the total registered voters. So far, in the first six days of early voting for the May 24th Primary Election, 2,199 votes have been cast, which represents seven percent of the 29,477 currently registered voters in Baxter County.
Reese believes voting in Primary elections is always important, but especially this year in Baxter County when some races, like County Judge and County Sheriff, will be decided in the Primary, not the General Election.
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A candidate must receive over 50 percent of the votes cast for election to office. If no candidate receives the necessary 50 percent plus one vote, a run-off is needed to decide the winning candidate. Because some races, like County Judge and County Sheriff, have more than two candidates in contention for the position, a run-off election is likely and will be held on June 21st.
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Some people are confused by Arkansas’ Open Primary Voting, says Reese who explains the process this way.
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Early voting hours are Monday through Friday from 8AM to 6PM and Saturday from 10AM to 4PM, ending Monday at 5:30PM. In Baxter County Early Voting locations are in Mountain Home at the Baxter County Court House at 1 East 7th Street; the Baxter County Election Commission Headquarters at 213 East 5th Street and Twin Lakes Plaza at 769 U.S. Highway 62 East.
On Election Day, Tuesday May 23rd, the polls open at 7:30AM and close at 7:30PM. Registered voters in Baxter County may vote at any voting site within the county.
Baxter County voters who have questions about their registration or voting district may call Reese’s office at 870-425-3475. All Arkansas residents can find voter information and check their voter registration online at SOS.AR.GOV under the tab “Election Information for Voters”.
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