FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington County Democrats need to find a candidate to replace Candy Clark, who's withdrawing from the race for District 12 seat on the Quorum Court.
The party announced Clark's withdrawal, citing serious personal illness, in an email Thursday. According to Debby Winters, county chairwoman, the party will be holding a special convention via Zoom at 6 p.m. Wednesday to nominate a replacement.
District 12 covers parts of downtown and southeast Fayetteville. Sue Madison holds the seat. Todd Edwin Crane, a Republican, is on the ballot for the Nov. 3 general election.
Winters said Clark's name will remain on the ballot and votes cast for her will be counted as votes for the replacement candidate.
Winters said the party had to find replacement candidates for some offices during the 2018 election cycle, but that was in August, before the candidates had been certified.
"It's a unique situation, but that's what we're up against." Winters said. "Candy Clark will be on the ballot and someone else will be running for the office and their name won't be on there. They'll have to tell people 'Vote for Candy Clark and it'll count for me.'"
The announcement said all members of the party in good standing as of Aug. 9 will be able to participate in the Zoom convention. Interested candidates were asked to send the party a shot biography and photo.
Daniel Shults, director of the state Board of Election Commissioners, said Arkansas law provides for replacement candidates in the event of a candidate's death, illness, moving out of the district or filing for another office. The political party can choose a replacement candidate either by special election or a convention. The party must notify the governor about how they will chose a replacement.
Washington County Clerk Becky Lewallen said the deadline to certify each party's list of candidates was Aug. 5. State law provides if the party's nominee is not selected in time to file his or her certification the nominee's name will not appear on the ballot but votes cast for the candidate appearing on the ballot will be counted for the replacement candidate.
According to the law, the county board of election commissioners is required to post a notice at each affected polling place stating each election in which a vote for the person appearing on the ballot shall be counted for the nominee and send a copy of the notice to voters requesting absentee ballots. In Washington County the Clerk's Office has already received more than 5,200 requests for absentee ballots.
Renee Oelschlaeger, chairpwoman of the Washington County Election Commission, said that once the commission receives official notification of the change of candidates they will prepare a notice for the voters in District 12. Absentee ballots will be sent out later this month, she said.
"I don't think it will be a huge issue," Oelschlaeger said.