Preferential Primary/Nonpartisan General Election set for May 20

May 6, 2014 at 5:00 a.m.

by Dodie Evans

Photo by Dodie Evans Early voting was skimpy on Monday and poll workers urge voters to take advantage of the polling site in the Gravette Civic Center. They have the ballot information for all of the 73 precincts in the county, which will accommodate voters wherever they are registered. Patsy Vinson is showing her driver’s license since photo identification is required; Barbara Wright is at one of the voting machines preparing to vote, and other poll workers, from the left, are Pat Clayton, Cathleen Spears and precinct sheriff Ann Stee.
Photo by Dodie Evans Early voting was skimpy on Monday and poll workers urge voters to take advantage of the polling site in the Gravette Civic Center. They have the ballot information for all of the 73 precincts in the county, which will accommodate voters wherever they are registered. Patsy Vinson is showing her driver’s license since photo identification is required; Barbara Wright is at one of the voting machines preparing to vote, and other poll workers, from the left, are Pat Clayton, Cathleen Spears and precinct sheriff Ann Stee.

GRAVETTE -- Benton County voters will go to the polls Tuesday, May 20, in the Preferential Primary and Nonpartisan General Election.

Polls will be open that day at 73 locations from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., according to the Benton County Election Commission.

Early voting began Monday of this week, the Commission announced, with early voting sites in operation. This includes the Gravette Civic Center which will be open Monday through Friday this week, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., as well as next week, May 12-16, during the same hours.

Gravette is one of three new early voting sites this year; the others are the Rogers/Lowell Chamber of Commerce and Centerton Firehouse.

Early voting is also possible at the County Clerk's offices in Bentonville, Rogers and Siloam Springs.

"There will be electronic ballots for every precinct at each of the early voting sites," said Dana Caler, election administrator for Benton County, "but paper ballots will only be available at the clerk's office.

According to information at press time, Arkansas voters will be required to provide a photo identification when casting their ballots. This includes driver's licenses, passports, military identification cards and federal employee identification, Arkansas concealed carry permits and student identification cards from Arkansas institutions. Voters may obtain a voter ID card at the county clerk's office.

Ballot Information

Contested races on the Republican ballot are:

Attorney General -- Patricia Nelson, Leslie Rutledge and David Sterling

Auditor -- Ken Yang and Rep. Andrea Lee

Governor -- Curtis Coleman and Asa Hutchinson

Lt. Governor -- Tim Griffin, Debra Hobbs, Andy Mayberry

State Treasurer -- Duncan Baird, Dennis Milligan

Rep., Dist. 87 -- Robin Lundstrum, Lucas Roebuck

Rep., Dist. 96 -- Grant Hodges, Damon Wallace

County Judge -- Dale King, Bob Clinard and Ronnie Smith

Constable, Township 4 -- Charlene Newell, Gordon Fisher

In the Democratic Primary, only one race is contested, that of Governor, with Mike Ross and Lynette Bryant in the running.

The following voting precincts are among the 73 in the county which will be open on election day, May 20:

Gravette Civic Center

Sulphur Springs

Community Building

Decatur Municipal Building

Gentry Methodist Church

Highfill Town Hall

Centerton Firehouse

Hiwasse Fire Station

Highlands Church

Christian Life Center, Centerton

General News on 05/06/2014