DEMOCRATS OPT for electronic state meeting.

LITTLE ROCK — Due to the covid-19 public health emergency, Arkansas’ two dominant political parties have altered the way they elect national convention delegates, their chairmen said Monday.

The Democratic Party of Arkansas will meet electronically to select its delegates instead of gathering for a special state convention, said chairman Michael John Gray.

The Republican Party of Arkansas still plans to elect its national delegates at regional and statewide assemblies in the coming months, but will observe social distancing if necessary. The party is allowing its special county convention meetings to be held electronically and has postponed the dates for its larger gatherings, chairman Doyle Webb said.

Democrats, citing time constraints, are adopting online alternatives. The state’s special convention was originally scheduled for May 30 in Little Rock.

The switch to a statewide online convention is groundbreaking for Democrats, Gray said.

“We won’t be the only state that has to do this, but we will be the first one,” he said.

Democrats in all 75 counties can each choose state representatives to participate in the special convention — 375 in all.

Party officials “have worked closely” with the Democratic National Committee and the Association of Democratic State Chairs to develop the format, he said.

The date and time haven’t yet been determined, he added.

“We thought we’d go ahead and make the announcement, get people comfortable with it, work through the kinks and the questions and move forward,” Gray said.

Counties failing to select special convention representatives before social distancing guidelines were implemented are already holding virtual county conventions to complete the task.

The convention will choose 31 delegates and three alternates to attend the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis., the week of Aug. 17.

Former Vice President Joe Biden won the state’s March 3 Democratic presidential primary and 17 delegates, capturing 40.6 percent of the vote. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, with 22.4 percent of the vote, was awarded 9 delegates and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, with 16.7 percent of the vote, received 5.

Both Sanders and Bloomberg subsequently suspended their campaigns, making Biden the presumptive nominee.

Five other Democrats were automatically unpledged delegates, due to their position within the party.

Arkansas Republicans will be selecting 37 delegates and 37 alternates to attend their party’s national convention in Charlotte, N.C., Aug. 24-27. Three party leaders also will be delegates.

President Donald Trump won the state’s March 3 Republican presidential primary, and all 40 delegates, capturing 97.1 percent of the vote.

Twenty-five delegates and 25 alternates are picked at a special meeting of the Arkansas Republican State Committee, a collection of roughly 350 county chairmen, committeemen and women, elected officials and other grassroots activists.

Initially scheduled for May 30, the event has been postponed until June 20.

Twelve other delegates are selected at special district conventions — three from each of the state’s four congressional districts. (Twelve alternates are selected as well.)

Originally scheduled for May 2, those gatherings have been postponed until May 30 in Arkansas’ 1st, 3rd and 4th Districts. The 2nd District is scheduled to meet on May 23 in central Arkansas.

For now, they’re planning to gather and vote, in church gymnasiums, a college auditorium and at state party headquarters.

“Certainly they have the ability, under our rules, to have a virtual meeting, but they’re all meeting in venues that will allow social distancing,” Webb said.

Some of the special county conventions, where district delegates are selected, were held before the emergency declaration. Others are already being held online, using Zoom or teleconferencing. In Greene County, Republicans assembled in a church yard, their chairs spaced at least 6 feet apart.

Around the country, other Republican groups have turned to technology in the midst of this pandemic, Webb said.

“Several states are going virtual,” he said. “As a matter of fact, New Hampshire Republicans have had a virtual convention already and, nationally, we’re allowing several states to have virtual conventions.”

It’s not an option Arkansas Republicans are eager to adopt, Webb said.

“Our people really want to meet in person,” he said. “Technology is great but it’s still not the personal touch that our people want to experience.”

Webb hopes the crisis is over by the time the party gathers for its June 20 meeting. But he’s not taking any chances.

“We’re scheduled to meet in Hot Springs at the convention center and if social distancing is needed, we will have the square footage necessary to meet in person… We’ve even reserved the arena in Hot Springs in case that is needed,” he said.