Seven board seats uncontested in Sebastian County school election

FORT SMITH — The Sebastian County school election this year will have no contested school board races in the seven positions in five school districts up for election.

One district, Mansfield, couldn’t get a candidate to file for the Position 2 seat that is coming vacant.

Sebastian County Election Commission officials were at a loss to explain the lack of interest in the school elections this year.

Because there are no contested races and no millage rate increases are being requested this year, election commissioners voted Thursday to conduct only absentee and early voting. No polling places will be open on election day Sept. 19.

The only polling places for the school election will be at Greenwood City Hall and the Sebastian County Courthouse in Fort Smith. They will be open from Sept. 11 until 5 p.m. Sept. 18. Commissioners will count the absentee votes beginning at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 and tabulate the early votes at 7:30 p.m.

This year’s school election was to be the first test of newly approved vote centers, which allow voters to cast ballots at any polling place in the county. With the county’s new voting equipment, poll workers can match a voter with the appropriate ballot for his precinct at any vote center.

Election officials said Thursday the next election where the vote centers will come into play will be the May primary election next year.

Candidates in this year’s Sebastian County school election are:

■ Fort Smith: Greg Magness, at-large Position 2; and Jeannie Cole, Zone 3, Position 7.

■ Greenwood: Todd Hales, Position 1; and Greg Hasley, Position 4.

■ Hackett/Hartford: Patricia A. Black, Position 2.

■ Lavaca: Darren Smithson, Position 5.

■ Mansfield: Position 2, no candidate.