Get out and vote, Arkansas!

Get out and vote, Arkansas!

More than 50,000 Arkansans registered to vote in the last 3 months. This brings the total amount of registered voters in our state to 1,754,243, a historic number for our state’s history. This is an increase of more than 140,000 registered voters in our state since the presidential election in 2012.

But the number of registered voters does not necessarily reflect how many Arkansans will go to the polls. In the 2012, voter turnout was 67%. The highest turnout in recent history was in 1980 when nearly 78% of Arkansans voted.

We hope everyone who is registered will exercise their right to vote in this election. In our state it is not uncommon for elections to be decided by extremely narrow margins, especially in local races or elections.

In 2010, two candidates for sheriff in Stone County tied twice, both in the primary and the resulting runoff election. It took a special election called by the governor and subsequent court challenges to determine the party nominee. In a six-person race for mayor of Pine Bluff in 2008, the incumbent was just one vote shy of the majority required to win, forcing a runoff election.

A 2005 local initiative in Hot Springs passed by only 89 of the 9,401 votes cast. In 1998, three municipal elections in Arkansas were decided by a single vote.

Early voting began statewide on Monday, October 24. In many counties, early voting for all precincts is conducted at the county clerk's office. However, some counties have other “offsite” early voting locations around the county. The county clerk will post early voting locations, and local newspapers will often publish the designated sites.

If you are unable to be at your polling location you can vote by absentee ballot. For information about deadlines and submission visit the Secretary of State’s website www.sos.arkansas.gov .

On Election Day, Nov. 8, polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Your precinct and polling site are assigned by your county election commission based on where you live. A voter registration card issued by your county clerk will show your precinct, or you can visit www.VoterView.org to find your registration details and polling site.

From State Representative Milton Nicks