BENTONVILLE — The Benton County Election Commission was unable to act Friday on a proposal to end the practice of providing periodic election night voting reports. Only two members attended the meeting, resulting in a stalemate.
The question of election night updates drew a small group of people to the commission meeting. All those who spoke favored having periodic updates on election night.
AT A GLANCE
Running Unopposed
Unopposed candidates for city council seats are not listed on ballots for this year’s election. State law provides that when only one candidate files for a city office other than mayor, “the candidate shall be declared elected and the name of the person shall be certified as elected without the necessity of putting the person’s name on the general election ballot for the office.”
Source: Benton County Clerk’s Office
Mike Sevak, chairman of the Benton County Republican Party Committee, said ending the practice would harm the news media and the average citizen. Sevak said most Americans will be “sitting at home in front of their TVs flipping channels” searching for election results. If the commission refuses to release vote tallies before the final count, he said, “the media will have no story to report.”
Justice of the Peace Dan Douglas said he concurred with Sevak.
“The voting process is one of the most important cornerstones of our country,” Douglas said. “People, for generations, have gone to watch parties and to the courthouse to get results released throughout the night.”
Douglas said releasing partial numbers gives voters a way of seeing how an election is going. He said as a justice of the peace, he supported the Election Commission as it sought to add full-time staff and buy voting machines. He said a decision to end the practice of releasing vote totals on election night could make him question that support.
“At a time when most companies are trying to do more with less, we’ve been pouring money into the Election Commission, and it seems like we’re doing less with more,” Douglas said.
Commission Chairman Bill Williams and Commissioner E.J. Miller split on three proposals regarding election night updates. When it was suggested the commission offer no interim reports, Williams voted in favor and Miller voted against the measure.
When it was proposed the commission provide voting reports at 7:30, 9:30 and 11 p.m., Williams voted against and Miller voted in favor.
A compromise, which Williams said Commissioner Bob Balfe suggested in an e-mail to commission staff, would have offered three reports. Williams said the commission could initially report the results of the absentee and early voting, which will be tallied shortly after the polls close at 7:30 p.m. After that report, the commission could choose to do one interim report during the counting process and a final, unofficial report at the end of the vote counting.
Williams voted in favor of the compromise and Miller voted against it.
With Balfe absent from Friday’s meeting, Miller and Williams were at odds for most of the meeting.
Miller said he was lied to when he asked at an earlier meeting if the county or Election Systems & Software was responsible for a delay in programming software for the county’s voting machines. Williams sharply rejected the allegation anyone lied and insisted Miller refrain from making personal attacks.
Miller continued with a list of grievances, including the handling of problems with some Centerton poll workers, billing questions with Siloam Springs, allowing a company doing exit polling access to polling places, the preparation of commission agendas and handling of the commission meetings.
After Miller and Williams exchanged remarks on Miller’s complaints, Miller said Williams was trying to run the commission on his own and should resign as chairman.
“I think we are doing a disservice to the people of the county, running this as a one-person operation,” Miller said. “I think it needs to cease, and it needs to cease immediately.”
“I certainly have heard your suggestion,” Williams said.
Williams said the commission would schedule another meeting as soon as possible, making certain Balfe could attend.
After the meeting, Miller said he would continue to press for Williams’ resignation as chairman, saying his concerns had not been addressed by the full commission.
Williams had a one word answer when asked after the meeting if he would consider resigning.
“No,” Williams said.