Sebastian County still showing erroneous online sample ballot

An error on the sample ballots on the Sebastian County Clerk’s website shows a Democrat candidate running for Justice of the Peace for District 6 though he is a candidate for JP District 7.

On the sample ballots for the Democrat ballot for the 2024 Preferential Primary, Nonpartisan Judicial General and School Board Elections March 5 that are posted on the county clerk’s website David Austin Crowell is listed as an unopposed candidate for District 6 Justice of the Peace. According to Crowell’s campaign website, he is a candidate for Sebastian County Justice of the Peace for District 7.

Meghan Hassler, Sebastian County election coordinator, said the Election Commission realized the error on the sample ballots and discussed what to do at an election commission meeting Feb. 7.

“We acknowledged the mistake and corrected it for in person voting,” Hassler said. “The only ones it is incorrect on were absentee ballots, which had already been sent out.”

Hassler said the decision was made to correct the sample ballots and the in person ballots. Because Crowell is unopposed in the preferential primary, incorrect printing on the absentee ballots would not affect the election. Hassler said she did not know the incorrect sample ballots were still on the Sebastian County Clerk’s website as of Friday (Feb. 23).

Darlene Neumeier, office manager for the Sebastian County Clerk, said the clerk’s office displays the sample ballots given to them by the election commission.

“They gave us the sample ballot. They haven’t given us a replacement sample ballot,” Neumeier said.

Early voting for the March 5 primary election started Tuesday (Feb. 20). It will continue through March 4. Early voting locations at the Sebastian County Courthouse in Fort Smith, the Sebastian County Fairgrounds in Greenwood, Martin Luther King Park in Fort Smith, Rye Hill Baptist Church in Fort Smith, the Creekmore Community Center in Fort Smith and Ben Geren Park tornado shelter in Fort Smith are open for early voting from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today (Feb. 23) and Feb. 26 through March 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 24) and March 2, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 4.

Election Day vote centers will be open 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. March 5.