EL DORADO -- An error that appears on voting ballots for the 2022 preferential primary election in Union County will remain on the ballots throughout the early voting period, members of the Union County Election Commission said during a special meeting Thursday.
Early voting begins at 8 a.m. Monday in the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium, 100 W. Eighth St., and when voters cast their ballots, they may notice an error with the name of U.S. Senate candidate Jack E. Foster, a Democrat.
Union County Election Commission chairman Cliff Wright said Foster's first name shows up as "Jake" on the voting ballots.
The Union County Election Commission and Union County Clerk's Office said the Arkansas Secretary of State's office notified them about the issue late Wednesday, leaving them with little time to correct the error.
Wright and Commissioner Mike Hayes said that Election Systems and Software, the county's voting machine vendor/service provider, said it will not be able to tend to the issue before the start of the early voting period in the county.
Hayes said about 40 voting machines and tabulators would have to be reprogrammed.
Wright said Foster's first name was spelled correctly when the county election commission drew ballot positions in March.