CONWAY -- The Faulkner County Quorum Court voted Wednesday night to appoint the chief deputy in the county clerk's office as its new head, a day after Margaret Darter pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and resigned as clerk.
Without discussion, the nine justices of the peace present for an emergency meeting voted to have Tammie Lemings serve as clerk until Darter's two-year term would have ended Dec. 31. Six justices of the peace were absent.
The Quorum Court moved fast on the appointment because of the Nov. 8 general election and early voting, which starts Oct. 24.
Lemings has worked in the clerk's office since 2001 and previously worked in the Van Buren County clerk's office, which formerly also handled matters now assigned to a separate circuit clerk's office.
After the meeting, Lemings told reporters that she thought the election would "go smoothly."
The clerk's office handles early voting and other election matters, including tabulations along with the county's three-member Election Commission and the election coordinator.
Paul Foster, commission chairman, said he was concerned about a program that allows for the clerk to go to nursing homes and the hospital so that patients unable to go to the polls can cast their ballots during early voting.
Foster said the county started the program during the 2016 primaries and that Darter was the only one prepared to handle that job.
"I don't know anybody else who knows how to do it," he said. "It was strictly Margaret's [effort], and she took care of it."
He said the commission will need to meet one day next week to address the matter.
Darter pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor -- obstruction of governmental operations -- Tuesday in a plea agreement that eliminated the felony-tampering charge she had formerly faced.
Darter was charged after she told justices of the peace in February 2015 that their annual statements of financial interest were due Jan. 31 of that year and after she later changed the dates on some of their forms to make it look as if they had been filed on time even though they weren't.
Under the plea agreement, Darter had to resign immediately from office. She is free, though, to campaign for re-election, though it's unclear if the misdemeanor to which she pleaded could prevent her from holding office if she's elected.
Darter will face Democrat Penny McClung in the election.
State Desk on 10/13/2016