Clerk’s Office Plans Voting Notices

BENTONVILLE — Benton County voters who haven't participated in recent elections will get notices from the County Clerk’s Office soon asking them to confirm their registration information or warn them their registration is about to be canceled.

The confirmation notices are being mailed now, said Tena O’Brien, county clerk. The cancellation notices will be sent out in about two weeks.

“We’re required by state law every other year to send out notices to registered voters who have not voted within the last two years,” O’Brien said.

The county has 116,895 registered voters. O’Brien’s office has identified 12,549 voters who haven't cast a ballot in the last two years and sent them the confirmation notice. She said blue cards are printed so voters can complete them and then fold and tape them for mailing so their personal information isn’t visible. People who are uncomfortable sending information through the mail can confirm their registration by calling O’Brien’s office at 479 271-1013 or faxing the completed notices to her office at 479 271-1019.

“It’s important that they confirm their information,” O’Brien said. “If they don’t confirm it when they do go to vote they’ll be required to fill out a voter registration form, which slows the process down for everybody.”

The county will send cancellation notices to 3,477 voters in about two weeks, O’Brien said. Those notices go to voters who haven't cast a ballot in the past four years, she said. They may also be mailed back or the voter can call or send the information by fax.

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