HOT SPRINGS -- The Garland County election chief has a theory on why turnout in the March 3 elections was lower than expected.
"I blame all these people holding signs that wouldn't let people in the parking lot," Garland County Election Commission Chairman Gene Haley said after certifying results Friday from the preferential primaries, nonpartisan general election, annual school elections and House District 22 special election.
"That's what I think," he said. "It's county property. I could throw them off. I don't want to step on anybody's rights to talk to voters before they cross that line, but I can't have them impeding traffic."
Haley said aggressive electioneering in front of the Election Commission Building on Ouachita Avenue and in the parking lot made it difficult for voters to access the polls. Election headquarters is typically the county's busiest polling place. Its 4,140 voter check-ins during 12 days of early voting were the most among four early voting sites. Its 849 check-ins on election day topped all 25 vote centers.
Haley said 35% turnout is typical for primary and nonpartisan elections, but this year participation by the county's more than 60,000 registered voters dropped to 31.5%. Results certified Friday showed 19,677 ballots were cast. More than 21,000 were cast in March 2016, the previous election with presidential primaries.
Haley said the most aggressive electioneering was in the nonpartisan election, which featured five contested judicial races. He compared it to 2014, the previous election where all of the county's circuit judges stood for election.
"In 2014, we basically had to ask everybody to leave the parking lot because they were blocking traffic," he said.
Haley said some voters parked off site this year to avoid the throng in front of and in the parking lot at election headquarters.
"I had a lot of complaints about it because there was no place to park," he said. "A good friend of mine, her husband brought her and he parked at the courthouse. She walked all the way from the courthouse over here because he didn't want to fight the mess."
Haley said he's sent a letter to the county judge and mayor about keeping the entrance to the Election Commission Building free from campaign workers and volunteers. They are allowed by law to campaign up to 100 feet from polling sites, a line of demarcation denoted by a painted line in the parking lot of election headquarters.
Haley said most people honor the line, but some don't know any better.
"I'm not going to say who it was, but somebody wearing a T-shirt for one of the judicial candidates pulled up, and the only parking spot was right up front," Haley said. "He pulled up and parked there and was talking on his phone with the T-shirt on, just laying on the back of his truck. He was right in front of the door. I told him he needed to move."
Haley noted that disrupting an election is a Class A misdemeanor.
"I'm concerned about not only somebody getting hurt but impeding voters," he said.
Metro on 03/16/2020