Among the many factors people who run elections must take into account for voters is the question of convenience. Some voters, of course, are motivated. They'll ford a river, evade lions, tigers and campaign workers, climb mountains and forge ahead through questions about their voter ID, but nobody's going to stop them from casting a ballot.
Others don't vote because their favorite rerun from "Gilligan's Island" came on TV just as they were about to head out the door, or some other critically important matter.
What’s The Point?
An expansion of early voting sites in Washington County deserves support from members of the Quorum Court.
Convenience has, in recent years, become a more critical piece of the electoral puzzle. Elections are, by their very nature, about giving registered voters a way to make their voices heard on issues and on who has the honor/burden of representing them in government, making decisions on their behalf. Voting is an American right, privilege, obligation and responsibility. It's also an activity a lot of eligible people simply don't get around to.
In the 2012 presidential election, a little less than 54 percent of the voting-age population of the United States cast ballots. In 2010, a nonpresidential year, the measure dropped to 37.8 percent. Those numbers general reflect the trend. We'd like to say Arkansas' rates were significantly better, but they're not.
Convenience does matter. The question is, how much?
The Washington County Election Commission recently proposed an expansion of early voting sites, those locations that will open two weeks before election day to give voters a massive window of time to do their civic duty. Last week, the proposal for five additional sites -- a total of seven -- went before members of the Quorum Court, which holds the purse strings for all county government. The Quorum Court supported three additional sites. The price tag is about $22,000.
More convenience for voters? Who can be against such an idea?
Well, it turns out, plenty. The Quorum Court voted 8-7 to approve three sites in addition to the Washington County Courthouse in Fayetteville and the Rodeo of the Ozarks grounds in Springdale. Tentatively, the sites include Prairie Grove's City Hall, Fayetteville's Medical Arts Pharmacy and Springdale's Arvest Ballpark. The measure has to be voted on twice more for final passage. It will be taken up again Tuesday.
"Nobody is kept from the opportunity to vote in Washington County -- not a soul," Justice of the Peace Tom Lundstrum said. "I just don't think we have a huge problem right now with people getting access to early voting."
He's right. It's not a problem, per se. But isn't there something to be said for making it easier, within reason, on taxpayers to get to the polls? Nobody's suggesting 25 early voting sites. How about three?
Washington County can afford this, and there are precious few expenditures that so directly benefit the people in connecting with government in a meaningful way. As more people shift to early voting, expansion of sites make sense. Opening a site that better serves residents of western Washington County is especially a step every justice of the peace should be able to support.
As the county opens up more convenient opportunities for registered voters, our hope is "Gilligan's Island" can wait and Washington County residents will worry more about being ballot-casters than about what happens with a group of fictional castaways.
Commentary on 08/28/2014