FAYETTEVILLE — The Washington County Election Commission won’t open an early voting site in Springdale before the annual school elections Sept. 21.
In voting against the proposal Monday, the commission indicated it would be logistically impossible since the early voting period before the election is only five days.
Early voting will begin Tuesday, Sept. 14, and continue through the following Monday, Sept. 20, in the County Clerk’s Office at the Washington County Courthouse. The courthouse is in downtown Fayetteville.
Kelly Hayes, comptroller of the Springdale School District, asked the commission several weeks ago to consider opening a Springdale site for early voting. The school district is asking voters for a millage increase.
A secondary site for early voting in a school election has never been opened in previous elections, election officials said at the time.
A three-person race for the at-large seat on the Springdale School Board developed during the school filing period that ended Friday. Incumbent Mike Luttrell is opposed by Edge Nowlin and Heather Crossland.
On election day, polling places will be open across the Springdale district because the district is also asking patrons to approve a 2.4-mill increase in the property tax to fund new construction.
“We appreciate their consideration and respect their decision,” Hayes said Monday after the commission’s decision.
Jennifer Price, election coordinator, said the commission also decided to open only one polling place at the Greenland Community Center because the only contested races for Greenland School Board are for the Zones 2 and 5 seats.
A polling place ordinarily would be opened in Winslow for voting in the Zones 6 and 7 seats, but those candidates are running unopposed unless a write-in candidacy develops before the deadline at noon Wednesday.
In Zone 2, Keith Lawson, Lonnie Meadows, Paula Schoonover and Daniel Lee Stout Jr. are vying for the seat. Dennis Caudle and Daniel Marzoni II are seeking the Zone 5 seat.
The deadline to register to vote in the Sept. 21 school elections is Aug. 22.
The election commission will meet next week to approve the ballots for the school elections.