Candidates in 25 Arkansas counties are attempting to draw voters to the polls for the Nov. 29 runoff elections that will offer only three days of early voting because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Voting begins Tuesday for 52 runoff races. People can cast ballots through Wednesday, but courthouses will be closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. Early voting will resume the next Monday.
"It's up to the candidates to keep their campaigns going and let folks know they're still in the running," said Chris Powell, a spokesman for the secretary of state's office.
"Historically, we've not seen large turnouts for runoffs," Powell said. "By runoff time, 'election fatigue' has set in. But there are a lot of important offices that still need to be decided."
[FULL LIST: 2016 runoff races]
Voters in Hot Spring and Scott counties will select a sheriff. Incumbent Scott County Sheriff Terry Staggs faces Randy Shores, while Woody Perry and Mike Cash vie for the lead law enforcement position in Hot Spring County.
In Sharp County, voters will choose between Dustin Rogers and Gene Moore for their next county judge.
In the runoffs for the 2014 primary election, turnout ranged from a high of 39 percent in Little River County to 0.4 percent in Chicot County, according to records provided by the secretary of state's office..
Washington County generally seems to have higher runoff turnout each year, said County Clerk Becky Lewallen.
In 2014, 2,000 voters cast ballots in the runoff for a Fayetteville alderman position. About 3,500 voted for the seat in the general election.
"We have a good turnout depending upon the races," she said. "There's always an alderman's race, or a mayor's race, or some issue that brings them out."
Because of a state law enacted in 2011, some candidates in the November general election avoided runoffs despite not receiving more than 50 percent of the vote.
Arkansas Code Annotated 7-5-106 states, in part, that "a candidate who receives a plurality of 40 percent of the votes cast must obtain at least 20 percent more of the votes cast than the second-place candidate for the municipal office to avoid a runoff general election against the second-place candidate."
Mountain Pine Mayor Rick Petty Sr. is in a runoff with Alderman Randy Kuykendall for the mayor's seat. Petty, who was appointed mayor of the Garland County town of 775 in June, said he will campaign when he has time in the days leading to the election.
Had Petty collected 15 more votes on Nov. 8, he would have avoided a runoff.
"We don't have a whole lot of voters in this small town," Petty said. "Every vote does count.
"This is where you've got to get everyone you talk to to get out and vote, even if you have to drive them to the poll.
"This is the runoff," he said. "One vote can do it."
In Weiner, Jeremy Kimble said he is reminding his family and friends to vote in the runoff. Kimble faces Mary Norris for a seat on the City Council.
"Everyone is worn out from the election," he said, referring to the onslaught of advertisements and campaigning by presidential candidates. "I'm one of them. It was such a long election.
"People don't want to hear about politics anymore," Kimble said. "The main thing is letting people know there is an election. You tell them what you can do if they vote for you, and you hope for the best."
State Desk on 11/20/2016