County clerk encourages voters to head to the polls
With early voting beginning Monday, Saline County Clerk Doug Curtis is encouraging all eligible voters to cast their ballots during the 2022 Preferential Primary and Nonpartisan General Election.
One aspect of this election is the state redistricting, which has resulted in changes to the district lines for both the Arkansas House of Representatives and the
Senate.
Curtis noted the because of delays in the 2020 Census, there were delays in the redistricting process and his office received updated voter information later than expected.
“We’re doing what we can do to inform the people,” he said.
Sample ballots will be available at polling sites or voters can viewed their specific ballot by visiting www.voterview.org and putting in their first and last names and date of birth.
When going to the polls, voters will be required to show identification. Voters can use their driver’s license, passport, concealed carry license, employee badge or ID document from an accredited state institution, military ID cards or public assistance ID cards, if the card shows a photograph of the person. The Saline County Clerk’s Office is also offering IDS called voter verification cards specifically for voting that are free of charge. Even some university IDS are being accepted. Individuals who shows up to vote and do not have an ID with them, they will be able to vote on a provisional ballot
Driver licenses that have been expired for no more than four years before the day of the election are eligible. The address on the drivers license does not have to match the address from which an individual registered to vote.
Those who vote provisionally will have until the Monday after the election to show an ID in order for their vote to be counted.
Early voting is scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 9 through May 13 and May 16 through May 20. On May 14 and May 21 voting will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 23, voters can cast their ballots from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Polls will be open on election day from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Curtis encourages individuals to cast their ballots during the early voting period instead of waiting until election day. He explained while polling sites are busier on the first and last day of early voting, usually early voting is available with no wait.