BENTONVILLE — Benton County residents will get election night voting updates because the county’s Election Commission reached a compromise Friday after a tumultuous two-hour meeting.
Bill Williams, commission chairman, initially proposed ending the practice. Williams cited staff concerns with time required to do the reports and what he said was an increased risk of error.
Officials of both major political parties and others objected at last week’s commission meeting. No decision was reached at that meeting because Commissioner Bob Balfe was absent and Williams and Commissioner E.J. Miller split in a series of votes on proposals ranging from no updates to interim reports throughout the night.
Friday’s meeting drew another crowd who were allowed to comment.
Lee Paull, who said he represented the chairman of the Democratic Party’s Central Committee, encouraged the commission to continue the updates.
“In the past, there’s never been a problem with having these periodic updates,” Paull said. “I don’t see why there has to be a change. The Election Commission should do right by the citizens of Benton County.”
AT A GLANCE
Early Voting Hours
Benton County has four polling places open for early voting today and three will be open Monday. Voting hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.
Voters can cast their ballots at any of the Benton County Clerk’s three offices today and Monday. The offices are at 215 E. Central Ave. in Bentonville, 300 W. Poplar St. in Rogers and 707 S. Lincoln St. in Siloam Springs. The fourth early voting location — Riordan Hall, at 3 Riordan Drive in Bella Vista — is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, but will be closed Monday.
Source: Benton County Clerk’s Office
Justice of the Peace Frank Winscott said the commission should continue the updates, saying they are one way of stimulating voter interest and encouraging participation in the election process.
Balfe attended Friday’s meeting and mediated between Williams and Miller, steering the commission toward a compromise. Balfe said he was in favor of having election night updates as long as they didn’t jeopardize the accuracy of the process.
Balfe acknowledged waiting for all of the votes to be counted might be more efficient, but said that is not the commission’s only concern.
“It’s an efficiency and a timeliness issue,” he said. “One of the foundations of our democracy is the right of the people to change their government. That’s something that has set us apart from the very beginning. We have to balance cost and efficiency with public confidence in the voting process. I think we should put in a process to have results coming out on an interim basis.”
The commission agreed on having three interim reports and one final, unofficial report on election night. The first report will include the early voting total and overseas and absentee ballots and be made as soon as possible after the polls close at 7:30 p.m. Subsequent reports will provide raw vote totals, but not precinct-by-precinct results.
The second report of the night will be issued around 9:30 p.m. The third report of the night will be issued between 11 p.m. and midnight. Election Coordinator Amy Huston said it is possible the third report could be the final, unofficial report. If not, that final report will be made later on election night.
The commission also set a policy restricting access to voting sites for people doing exit polling. Edison Research asked permission to do exit polling at three Benton County locations, but Miller objected to the firm’s proposal, suggesting they be kept at least 100 feet away from any polling place.
Williams said the provision in state laws keeping people 100 feet away from polling places only applies to people who are electioneering. While the commission has the authority to prevent disruption of the voting process, Williams said, the 100-foot restriction doesn’t apply to people doing exit polling.
“My contention is that if they are within 100 feet they are disrupting the election, and I’m opposed to it,” Miller said.
Balfe again offered a compromise, suggesting the commission's power to prevent disruption of the voting process does allow it to keep people away from the immediate area of the polling places. Balfe suggested the exit polling researchers be kept at least 50 feet away and the commission approved that recommendation by a vote of 2-1, with Williams voting against.