FORT SMITH -- The Sebastian County Election Commission got a new member ahead of the Nov. 8 general election, replacing one whose legal trouble forced him off the commission earlier this month.
Randy McFadden, 63, of Greenwood was sworn in on the commission as a Republican on Sept. 16, according to the County Clerk's Office. He replaced Jason Vineyard, whom Sebastian County's Republican Committee removed as commission chairman Sept. 12, the same day the clerk's office canceled Vineyard's voter registration due to an outstanding felony conviction.
Larry Bishop, committee chairman, said Thursday the committee selected McFadden on Sept. 15. He was one of four candidates from Sebastian County the committee considered and had both the desire to be an election commissioner and the time needed to carry out the job duties.
"There's no certain background or anything anyone has to have, so it comes down to basically if they desire to do the work and they're willing to make the commitment and have the time available to fulfill the commitment," Bishop said.
McFadden described his new role as "exciting." He said he always wondered how the election process worked as a voter and will now actually help carry it out.
The Election Commission's task is to ensure all staff involved in the general election does their job correctly so the public has confidence in the system, he said.
"There's so much out there right now in the news, so much unknown, that I just want people to know that I'm going to be in there and I'm a hands-on person," McFadden said.
McFadden said he retired as a security manager with UPS in 2014. He has also worked for the Springdale Police Department and served as a reserve officer for the Washington and Sebastian county sheriff's offices. He ran for the Sebastian County sheriff position in 2018.
A person has to be a qualified elector of Arkansas to serve on an election commission, according to the 2020 edition of the County Board of Election Commissioners Procedures Manual prepared by the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners. A qualified elector can't have been convicted of a felony without their sentence having been discharged or pardoned under the Arkansas Constitution.
County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Shue wrote in a letter to County Clerk Sharon Brooks on Sept. 12 that Vineyard pleaded guilty to one count of felony overdraft in 2003. The county Circuit Court suspended the imposition of Vineyard's sentence for 10 years with the condition of good behavior and that Vineyard pay $20,055 in restitution, along with a $500 fine and $150 in court costs.
Vineyard, 43, still hadn't fully paid these costs, meaning he hadn't discharged his sentence, according to Shue. Vineyard also hadn't been pardoned.
Sebastian County's Republican Committee appointed Vineyard to the Election Commission following fellow Republican David Damron's resignation from the commission chairman position in January.
Other county Election Commission members include Republican Cara Gean and Democrat Lee Webb. Meghan Hassler, county election coordinator, said the commission hasn't met since Sept. 12.
Salary
Sebastian County election commissioners are paid $100 per commission meeting or election-related event with a maximum of $1,000 per election.
Source: Meghan Hassler, Sebastian County election coordinator