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County residents can cast ballots ahead of Election Day now through Nov. 7

By Ralph Hardin

begins today

ralphhardin@gmail.com The wait is over. After months of campaigning, primaries, and politicking, Crittenden County residents and Arkansans across the state can now vote their preferences in the upcoming Nov. 8 General Election.

Early voting has begun, as of 8 a.m. this morning. Voters can beat the Election Day rush and head to the Crittenden County Courthouse in Marion to vote early, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Early voting runs through Monday, Nov.

7 at 5 p.m.

Absentee ballots remain available at the County Clerk’s Office. A designated bearer may pick up a maximum of two absentee ballots. All absentee ballots must be received by Tuesday, Nov. 1. At the top of the ballot, voters will be deciding on the 45th President of the United States.

There are eight candidates on the ballot in Arkansas.

They are (in the order they will appear on the ballot): Lynn Kahn (P)/Kathleen Monahan (VP), Independent; Jim Hedges (P)/Bill Bayes (VP), Prohibition Party; Donald Trump (P)/Mike Pence V), Republican Party; Hillary Clinton (P)/Tim Kaine (VP), Democratic Party; Jill Stein (P)/Ajamu Baraka (VP), Green Party; Gary Johnson (P)/Bill Weld (VP), Libertarian Party; Evan Mc-Mullin (P)/Nathan Johnson (VP), Better For America Party; and Darrell Castle (P)/Scott Bradley (VP), Constitution Party.

Get a full run-down of these candidates at www.politics1.com/p2016.

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Additionally, there are a number of state and regional races for voters to consider this election cycle. In the race for the U.S.

Senate, the senior senator from Arkansas, incumbent John Boozman, a Republican, will be seeking reelection. Boozman will face challenges from the Democratic candidate, former U.S. Prosecuting Attorney Conner Eldridge, as well as Libertarian candidate Frank Gilbert. Independent candidate Jason Tate has also met state requirements to be considered as a write-in candidate.

In the U.S. Congressional District 1 race, incumbent U.S. Representative Rick Crawford will not face a challenger from the Democratic Party. Libertarian Mark West will be Crawford’s lone opponent in his re-election bid.

Both local State Representatives are unopposed in their re-election campaigns. Arkansas State House District 50 Representative, Democrat Milton Nicks, and Arkansas State House District 51 Representative, Democrat Deborah Ferguson, have filed for another term in the State Legislature.

Two statewide judicial seats also feature uncontested races. In the State Supreme Court Associate Justice Position 1 race, Judge Dan Kemp is the lone candidate. The case is the same in the State Supreme Court Associate Justice Position 5 race, where Judge Shawn A.

Womack is unopposed.

Voters will also decide a number of county and local municipal races. Not all positions are up for election, and not all open positions had a candidate file with the County Clerk, but seats in which one or more candidates did file include (listed alphabetically, by city/town):

Anthonyville

Council Position I — Solon L. Anthony; Council Position II — Eddie Lee Bailey; Council Positon III — Freddie Lee Hicks; Council Position IV— Mildora Hicks, Roy L.

Eason; Council Position V — Leroy C. Wright Sr.

Clarkedale

Council Position I — (no candidate filed); Council Position II — Mike Sample; Council Position III — Dave Thomas; Council Position IV — Rueben Parnell Council Position V — (no candidate filed); Clerk — Candice Pirani (did not qualify/not enough signatures), Paul Pirani (did not qualify/not enough signatures).

Crawfordsville

City Council Ward 1-1 — Terri Watson; City Council Ward 1-2 — Greg Pipken; City Council Ward 2-1 — Alex Alpe; City Council Ward 2-2 — ReDonna Allen; City Council Ward 3-1 — France R. Wallace; City Council Ward 3-2 — John Michael Burrows; Recorder — Julie S. Alpe;

City Treasurer — Judy H.

Moore.

Earle

Council Ward 1-2 — Donnie Cheers; Council Ward 2-2 — Charlie Young, Brenda Morris; Council Ward 3-2 — Robert Malone; Council Ward 4-2 — Sarah Johnson, Robert L.

Udell Sr., Tyrone Hurst.

Voters will also voter “FOR” or “AGAINST” a petition to recall Mayor Carolyn Jones.

Edmondson

Council Position 1 — Alonzo Buckley; Council Position 2 — (no candidate filed); Council Position 3 — (no candidate filed); Council Position 4 — Larry Moore; Council Position 5 — Gayland Moore (did not qualify).

Horseshoe Lake

Town Council Position 1 — Trina Scarbrough; Town Council Position 2 — Shawn Siders, Garry Hahne; Town Council Position 3 — Terry Tarr; Town Council Position 4 — Karla Chambers Fann; Town Council Position 5 — Kenneth McDermott.

Position 1 — Dorothy K. Parnell; Position 2 — Juanita Edwards, Gregory D. Fisher; Position 3 — Freddie Banks; Position 4 — (no candidate filed); Position 5 — Ida B.

Shumpert.

Marion

City Council Jasper 1-1 — Matthew S. Hale, Kelly O’Neal; CIty Council Jasper 2-1 — Cliff Wood; City Council Jasper 3-1 — Bryan Jackson, Sherry Holliman.

Turrell

Council Position 1 — Floyd D. Holmes; Council Position 2 — (no candidate filed); Council Position 3 — (no candidate filed); Council Position 4 — Eddie Mae Hale; Emmanual Harris; Council Position 5 — Angela Scott; Council Position 6 — Jeffrey Thomas.

West Memphis

Council Ward 1-2 — Tracy Catt, Alex Dunlap; Council Ward 2-2 — Melanie D. Hutchinson; Council Ward 3-2 — Don L. Christian, Wayne Croom; Council Ward 4-2 — Marco McClendon; Council Ward 5-2 — Willis Mondy, Alfred Felton.

No candidate filed for office in Gilmore, Jeanette or Sunset.

Polls on election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8 will be open from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.