Voters to decide several local races in year’s elections

Political filing period begins Feb. 22

The filing period for this year’s Preferential Primary Election begins next month for several local political seats that will be decided in May and November.

The party and nonpartisan filing period for the May 24 primary ballot will begin at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 22, and continue until noon on Tuesday, March 1.

Among the offices up for election this year in St. Francis County are county judge, sheriff and collector, assessor, treasurer, circuit clerk, county clerk and coroner, along with all 11 justice of the peace districts and constables. District races will also be held for the area’s state senators and representatives, and state races, such as governor, will be decided.

Forrest City voters this year will also cast ballots in city races, including mayor.

Those filing as Republicans and Democrats will file with their respective party representatives and pay each party’s filing fees, but are not required to submit signed petitions.

Independent candidates are not required to pay a filing fee, but are required to gather signatures from qualified voters.

St. Francis County Clerk Brandi McCoy explained the petitions submitted by Independent candidates filing for office must contain a minimum 179 signatures. The number of signatures required locally is computed at 3% of the total number of votes cast in SFC during the last governor’s race, which was 2018.

The school board filing period will also be held from Feb. 22 through March 1, with those races being decided during the May Primary.

All seven seats on the Forrest City School District’s board are up for election this year. Previously, all board seats were at-large positions, but now those positions are divided into five zones with two positions at-large, requiring all current members to seek re-election in order to keep their seats on the board.

Two seats on the Palestine-Wheatley School Board will be up for election in May.

School districts differ from governments in that board members take office at the first meeting following the election, instead of waiting until the first of the next year to be sworn in. Unless a runoff is involved, board members should begin their terms at the June meetings.

Candidates for school board seats are required to submit petitions containing at least 20 signatures of qualified voters when filing their paperwork at the county clerk’s office.

The filing period for Forrest City offices of mayor, city clerk and all four position one seats on the council will be held May 4 through 22, with those races being decided during November’s general election. Candidates will be required to submit the required paperwork to the county clerk’s office along with a petition containing at least 30 signatures of qualified voters.

The filing requirements vary for the offices up for election this year. Those considering filing for office should check with the county clerk’s office or the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office for more information.