Washington County election officials blast state voter form

FAYETTEVILLE -- Washington County election officials had some advice for state officials drafting new voting forms.

"We just think they need to try again," Renee Oelschlaeger, chairman of the county's Election Commission, said Friday.

Jennifer Price, the county's election director, briefed the commission on the proposed new voter statement form the state is drafting for absentee ballot users. The commissioners agreed the form was wordy, contradictory and confusing.

"There's no way to add more information without making it more complex," Jim Estes, a member of the commission, said during the discussion. "Many people will not be able to understand this. They didn't understand the old one."

Max Deitchler, the third member of the commission, made the commission's view of the draft voter form unanimous. He pointed out some sections of the form actually contradict others.

"Frankly, the whole thing is confusing as hell," Deitchler said.

Deitchler suggested Arkansas officials should look to states with a history of voting by mail for examples of any forms voters may need.

"Look at states that have been doing mail elections for years," Deitchler said. "See what they use."

"Don't reinvent the wheel," Estes said.

Price said she'll send the commission's suggestions on to the State Board of Election Commissioners, which is responsible for providing the form to all of Arkansas' 75 counties.

The commission also discussed issues with the coming redrawing of election district lines needed because of population changes identified in the 2020 Census.

Price told the commissioners a quirk in state laws now requires school districts have their election zones drawn by Nov. 1. The Election Commission has to approve the districts' proposed boundaries.

Price said, ideally, election lines would be drawn in a descending order from the larger state legislative districts to county justice of the peace districts to city zones or wards and then to the school districts. Drawing the lines in that order helps keep the number of precincts needed at a minimum and reduces the number of different ballot styles needed in an election.

Price said the county has 235 precincts now and a new requirement changing the way school elections are held in West Fork, Prairie Grove, Farmington and Elkins from at-large contests to elections by zones will add at least 40 precincts to the mix. Price said the smallest precinct in the county today, drawn after the 2010 Census, is in Fayetteville and has two registered voters.

Price said Jeff Hawkins, director of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, told her the Regional Planning Commission staff can draw the school zone boundaries at no cost to the school districts. She said she will work with the school districts to coordinate the effort.

The commission also approved the ballot for the Oct. 12 special election in Tontitown. The city is asking voters to approve a plan to pay off some bonds and issue new bonds for water, sewer and fire service improvements.

According to the ballot information, the city is asking voters to approve $4,325,000 in water improvement bonds, $4,425,000 in sewer improvement bonds and $5.3 million in bonds to build and equip a new fire station, along with any needed street, lighting and parking improvements. The bonds will be paid for by a 1% city sales tax.