Individuals hoping to run for Little Rock mayor as well as six of the seven ward-specific seats on the city's Board of Directors will be able to officially file as candidates for municipal office in the Nov. 8 election starting today.
The city made candidate-information packets available to prospective candidates beginning in June. The deadline for them to return election paperwork in person is Aug. 19 at noon.
"Upon submission, all documents will be time-stamped and staff will work to promptly verify candidate qualifications expeditiously so that any issues can be addressed" before the Aug. 19 deadline, the city's website says.
After the filing deadline, candidates must file a statement of financial interest form with the city clerk's office no later than Aug. 22.
Candidates for elected office in Little Rock must have lived in the city for at least 30 days, be a registered voter with no party affiliation and must be older than 21.
They must submit a petition signed by at least 50 qualified electors in Little Rock, though the city's website encourages prospective candidates to collect between 75 and 100 signatures to make sure they meet the required number.
Successful candidates will serve four-year terms that begin Jan. 1, 2023.
Mayor Frank Scott Jr. is seeking a second term after he was first elected in 2018.
A former banker, Scott became the first popularly elected Black mayor in the city's history when he defeated opponents in the contest to succeed then-Mayor Mark Stodola, who declined to run for reelection.
Scott is expected to face at least two challengers in the first round of voting on Nov. 8: food blogger Greg Henderson and businessman Steve Landers Sr.
If no candidate for mayor obtains at least 40% of the vote, a runoff election between the top two individuals will be held Dec. 6.
Also on the ballot in November are six of the 10 city director positions on the Little Rock Board of Directors. Individuals will be able to run for positions representing Wards 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7.
The Ward 1 contest is expected to pit City Director Virgil Miller Jr., who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the city board last year, against one or more challengers. The ward includes the downtown Little Rock core and neighboring communities.
Members of the city board appointed Miller to the Ward 1 seat after City Director Erma Hendrix died in office last September at age 91.
An employee of Arvest Bank Operations, Miller has said he plans to run for a full term of his own in November.
At least two other individuals have said they plan to run for the Ward 1 seat: Kenyon Lowe, chairman of the board of Little Rock's public housing authority, and Loretta Hendrix, the daughter of the late city director.
The three at-large positions on the city board as well as the Ward 4 seat were most recently on the ballot in November 2020.
At that time, incumbent at-large city directors Joan Adcock and Dean Kumpuris defeated challengers to win reelection.
Additionally, attorney Antwan Phillips beat out six others to succeed retiring at-large City Director Gene Fortson. City Director Capi Peck of Ward 4 was unopposed in her 2020 reelection bid.
City directors are paid an annual salary of $18,000, plus a $250 monthly office allowance, according to city code.
The mayor serves as chairman of meetings of the Board of Directors but does not vote except in the event of a tie; the mayor also retains veto power over measures approved by the board, though members can override his veto with a two-thirds majority.
Scott's annual salary is $160,000, according to mayoral spokesman Aaron Sadler.
The November election will be the first contest in which municipal candidates will run to represent newly redrawn city wards.
Members of the city board voted to adopt the new ward boundaries last December in order to account for population changes documented in the 2020 census.