The Preferential Primary, annual School Election for Blevins, Hope, Mineral Springs, and Nashville School Districts, the Nonpartisan General, and the controversial county-wide Special Election for the courthouse tax are under way today. Polls will remain open in Hempstead County until 7:30 p.m. tonight.

Voters can cast their ballots at any of the following locations around Hempstead County regardless of what precinct they reside:

Hope: Hope Coliseum
Bingen: Bingen Community Center
Blevins: Word of Faith Church
Cross Roads: Cross Roads Fire Station
Fulton: Fulton Library
McCaskill: McCaskill Community Center
Ozan: Ozan Fire Station
Patmos: Patmos Municipal Fire Station
Saratoga: Saratoga School
Spring Hill: Spring Hill Fire Department
Washington: Washington Fire Station

Absentee votes will be opened and counted at the Hempstead County Courthouse on March 3, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. Other votes will be tabulated tonight as they come in. We will be updating the results live as they are made available.

There are three ballots available to voters, Democrat, Republican and Non-Partisan. Those who choose the Democrat or Republican ballots will still be able to vote for the candidates in the Nonpartisan General and annual School Elections on the same ballot. The Nonpartisan Judicial General ballot contains only the Nonpartisan Judicial candidates and annual School Elections on the ballot. There is also a Special Election appearing on all three ballots.

The following are the issues and names in order as they appear on the ballots:

Democrat Ballot 

U.S. President
Michael R. Bloomberg
Kamala Harris
Joseph R. Biden
Julian Castro
Andrew Yang
Bernie Sanders
Mosie Boyd
Elizabeth Warren
Michael Bennet
Tulsi Gabbard
Joe Sestak
Cory Booker
Pete Buttigieg
Amy Klobuchar
Tom Steyer
Steve Bullock
Marianne Williamson
John K. Delaney

Unopposed Democratic Candidates

U.S. Congress District 04, William H. Hanson

State Representative District 3, Larry D. Faulkner, Sr.

Justice of Peace District 1, James Griffin

Justice of Peace District 3, Doris Brown

Justice of Peace District 5, Olen Dorman

Justice of Peace District 9, Jessie Henry

Justice of Peace District 11, B Keith Steed

Republican Ballot

U.S. President
Roque “Rocky” De La Fuenta
Donald J. Trump
Bill Weld

Unopposed Republican Candidates

U.S. Senate, Senator Tom Cotton

U.S. Congress District 04, Representative Bruce Westerman

State Senate District 11, Senator Jimmy Hickey, Jr

State Representative District 19, Representative Justin Gonzales

State Representative District 3, State Representative Danny Watson

Justice of Peace District 4, Ed B Darling

Justice of the Peace District 6, Troy K. Lerew

Justice of the Peace District 7, Steve Atchley

Justice of Peace District 8, C David Clayton

Justice of Peace District 10, Jay Lathrop

DeRoan Township Constable, Charles Lester

Spring Hill Township Constable, Jimmy F Singleton

Nonpartisan Judicial General Ballot

State Supreme Court Associate Justice Position 4
Barbara Womack Webb
Morgan “Chip” Welch

Court of Appeals Associate Judge District 04, Position 2
Emily White
Stephanie Potter Barrett

Unopposed Nonpartisan Candidates

Court of Appeals Associate Judge District 04, Position 01,
Brandon Harrison

Circuit Judge, District 08-North, Division 01, Joe C. Short

Circuit Judge, District 08-North, Division 02, Duncan Culpepper

Circuit Judge, State District Court District 38, Judge Tony Yocom

Annual School Ballots

Hope School Board Zone 1
Viney M. Johnson

Nashville School Board Zone 2
Tem Gunter
Misty Wilson

Annual School Millage

Hope School District 34.7 Mill School Tax: This represents no change from the previous year. The total tax levy proposed above includes 25.0 mills for the maintenance and operation of schools, 0 dedicated maintenance and operation mills, and 9.7 mills for debt service previously voted as a continuing debt service tax pledged for the retirement of existed bonded indebtedness. The district may use surplus revenues produced each year by debt service millage for other school purposes.

Blevins School District 31.3 Mill School Tax: The total tax levy proposed above includes 25.0 mills for maintenance and operation of schools, 0 mills for dedicated maintenance and operation millage (Capital Outlay/Current Expenditures) dedicated for purposes authorized by law and 6.30 mills for debt service previously voted as a continuing debt service tax pledged for the retirement of existing bonded indebtedness. The district may use surplus revenues produced each year by debt service millage for other purposes.

Mineral Springs School District 34.0 Mill School Tax: This represents no change from the previous year. The total tax levy proposed above includes 25.0 mills for the maintenance and operation of schools, 0 mills for dedicated maintenance and operation mills dedicated for 0 purposes, and 9 mills for debt service previously voted as a continuing debt service tax pledged for the retirement of existing bonded indebtedness. The district may use surplus revenues produced each year by debt service millage for other purposes.

Nashville School District 31.7 Mill School Tax: This represents no change from the previous year. The total tax levy proposed above includes 25 mills for the maintenance and operation of schools and 6.7 mills for debt service previously voted as a continuing debt service tax pledged for the retirement of existing bonded indebtedness. The district may use surplus revenues produced each year by debt service millage for other school purposes.

Special Election
1% County-Wide Sales and Use Tax : Adoption of a 1% local sales and use tax within Hempstead County for a period of two (2) years, the net collections of which remaining after deduction of the administrative charges of the State of Arkansas and required rebates, will be distributed only to the County and used to fund general purposes of County government. If approved, the levy of the tax will expire on June 30, 2022.