Special elections set today in state Senate, Fayetteville races

Two special elections take place in Washington County today. Polling places are the same for both, according to the Washington County Election Commission.

Both special elections are to fill vacancies left by resignations, one for the Ward 2, Position 2 seat on the Fayetteville City Council and the state Senate District 7 seat. County voting centers inside or outside Fayetteville’s Ward 2 will have ballots for the City Council special election in that race. Only voters registered as residing in the ward are eligible for those ballots. Likewise, District 7 voters may also vote at any of the county’s various voting centers.

Voting center locations with Fayetteville addresses are: The Awakening Church, 5763 E. Mission Blvd.; Central United Methodist, 6 W. Dickson St.; Sang Avenue Baptist Church, 1425 N. Sang Ave.; Sequoyah Methodist Church, 1910 Old Wire Road; and Trinity Methodist Church, 1021 W. Sycamore St.

Centers in Springdale are: Elmdale Baptist Church, 1700 W. Huntsville Road; First Church of the Nazarene, 2300 S. 40th St.; and Sonora Baptist Church 17330 U.S. 412 East.

Voters may also vote at the Elkins Community Center, 162 Doolin Drive.

One precinct — Fayetteville’s Precinct 37 — lies in both Fayetteville’s Ward 2 and Senate District 7, according to county Election Director Jennifer Price. Precinct 37 is in western Fayetteville north of Wedington Drive, according to the county’s precinct map.

State Senate District 7 includes most of Springdale and Johnson plus southern Tontitown, all of Goshen and Elkins and eastern bits of Fayetteville. The district stretches to the eastern border of Washington County and touches both the southern and northern county lines. Republican Colby Fulfer and Democrat Lisa Parks are the candidates. That election will fill the vacancy left when Lance Eads, a Republican from Springdale, resigned to take a consulting job.

In the Fayetteville City Council race, Leslie Belden, Kristen Scott and Mike Wiederkehr are running for the spot left open after Matthew Petty resigned in October, citing professional work obligations. If necessary, a runoff election will be held in that contest March 8.

Early voting was available the past week in both the council race and the Senate race. A total of 162 votes were cast early in the council race, while 473 votes were cast in the Senate race, according to figures provided by the election commission.