Thursday, March 13, 2014
FAYETTEVILLE — Washington County's Election Commission's first meeting since the death of its chairman began with a moment of silence Wednesday afternoon.
Commissioners Pete Loris and Renee Oelschlaeger handled several routine concerns for elections in April and May and clarified the process to fill John Logan Burrow's position.
AT A GLANCE
Upcoming Elections
April 8
• West Fork Special Election, Mayor
• Prairie Grove Special Election, Land annexation for a highway bypass
May 20
• Preferential Primaries and Nonpartisan Judicial Elections
Source: Washington County Election Commission
Jennifer Price, election coordinator, and the commissioners agreed upcoming elections should go smoothly while the county searches for a third commissioner.
"We've got a good ship," Loris said. "We just have to keep sailing."
West Fork voters will choose a mayor in a special election April 8. Frances Hime abruptly resigned in November, citing family concerns. Charlie Rossetti and Steve Winkler are vying for the spot. The same day Prairie Grove voters will decide if the city annexes a strip of land for a bypass just south of Highway 62.
Then on May 20 voters can cast ballots in nonpartisan judicial races and the preferential primaries for local and state Republican and Democrat candidates.
The commission approved buying 35,000 ballots for the May 20 election. About 15,300 paper ballots were cast in 2010's primary.
Price said the increase was partly to comply with state law, which requires 150 percent of last primary's ballots cast to be available. The race for governor and other positions that have multiple candidates could also draw more voters, Price said.
In the next month and a half, the Washington County Democrats will search for a commissioner to appoint. The party gets to have two of the three positions on the commission in each county because a majority of the state's elected executive officers are Democrats.
Tyler Clark, county party chairman, will attend the commission's meetings without voting in the meantime. He said he wouldn't rush the search, partly out of respect for Burrow and partly because the position doesn't need to be filled right away.
"We have no doubt the April election will go very smoothly," he said.
Once the Democrats choose a commissioner, the three will choose a chairman between the new member and Loris, who is also a Democrat.
NW News on 03/13/2014