By: Raegan Skarda
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – Election season is officially underway here in the Natural State and voters are already setting out for the polls. Tuesday March 3rd they will vote in the Preferential Election, Nonpartisan election as well as the Annual School election.
The polls open at 7:30am all across the state and will remain open until 7:30pm. Voters will be required to present their valid photo ID and will need to verify their registration information before they can cast their ballot.
The March 3rd election will determine the party nominees for several federal, state and local offices prior to the upcoming general election in November. On the federal level, voters will select their party’s candidates for the U.S. senate as well as all four U.S. House of Representatives seats.
The ballot will also include primaries for state constitutional offices and the seats in the Arkansas House and Senate. If no candidate secures the majority, certain races may be forced to a runoff election which is scheduled for March 31.
Jennifer Price, Washington County director of elections, said, “This year is the largest primary ballot we have seen. Typically, when we have a primary election, we don’t have as many candidates on the ballot — including judicial races.”
In addition to partisan elections, voters will also decide on nonpartisan races in the state judicial system. Several of these positions will appear on ballots without any party affiliation, including but not limited to the seats within the state’s court system.
The local Arkansas communities will be holding annual school elections. The varying ballots may include school board races, millage renewals and/or bond proposals tied to the schools funding and potential district improvements.
State election officials are required to provide voters with voting instruction, sample ballots and voter rights information. In addition poll workers will start the absentee ballot processing the morning of Tuesday March 3rd, continuing through 7:30pm on election day.
Voters are being encouraged by local officials to confirm their polling location and review the sample ballots available to them. For more information voters may go to the Arkansas Secretary of State’s website.
With the voter decisions ranging from federal offices to local education policies, it is evident that the Tuesday election will provide major insight for the future of Arkansas’s political leadership and the priorities of Arkansas communities.