Filing time for municipal candidates

Deadline to file for city elections is next Wednesday at noon

By RALPH HARDIN

news@theeveningtimes.com

While the presidential race is getting all the headlines, there are still a number of other important races that will be decided in November, including a number of municipal seats around the county.

And in order to get on the ballot in November, candidates seeking city council and other municipal seats will begin filing the necessary paperwork this week.

County clerks’ offices all across the state are expected to be busy in the next week or so as people interested in running for mayor or city council seats in Arkansas will be making their intentions known. According to the Arkansas Secretary of State’s website, the filing period starts at noon today and runs until noon on Wednesday, Aug. 7. Those who file will be eligible to be on the ballot for the Nov. 5 general election, but before doing so, a candidate must get a petition with signatures from registered voters in order to file for office and file other paperwork establishing eligibility for office.

In Crittenden County, mayoral elections were held in 2022 and those offices come with a four-year term.

But there are plenty of other races that will be down-ballot from the highly-contested U.S. presidential race between Donald Trump and presumably Vice President Kamala Harris.

In May, party primaries were held to decide what names would be on the ballot for a number of races, including both Arkansas House seats that include Crittenden County, as well as the U.S. House of Representatives and a number of Crittenden County Quorum Court Justice races. Voters in Arkansas will also be asked to decide on a slate of ballot measures and initiatives.

See ELECTIONS, page A2 ELECTIONS

From page A1

But municipal races are non-partisan, and the _ling period for those seats is later in the year.

Anyone interested in learning more about _ling for of_ce can contact Crittenden County Clerk Paula Brown’s of_ce at (870) 739-4434, or visit the courthouse, locates at 100 Court St., in Marion, for more information about each of_ce’s eligibility requirements, residency requirements and more.

Register to Vote

Not registered to vote? There is still time to register before the Nov. 5 election. To register in Crittenden County, you must:

■ Be a U.S. citizen

■ Be an Arkansas resident (residing in Arkansas at least 30days before the _rst election in which you will vote).

■ Be 18 or turn 18 on or before the next election.

■ Not be convicted of a felony without your sentence having been discharged or pardoned.

■ Not be presently adjudged mentally incompetent as to your ability to vote by a court of competent jurisdiction.

■ Must not claim the right to vote in another county or state.

The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5. General Election is Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. You can register in person at the courthouse or my mail (registration must be postmarked on or before Oct. 7).