The following was issued by Stephen Meeks, Republican Candidate
Arkansas State Representative District 47:
Background:
Prior to each election, county clerks conduct a ballot draw to determine the order in which candidates for a particular office will appear on the ballot.
Issue:
Faulkner County sent out written notification informing candidates of the time and place of the ballot draw. The draw was conducted openly with representatives from most campaigns and both parties present.
Conway County did not send out notifications of its draw and my campaign only learned of it after the fact. When we checked with other Republican candidates none of them had been contacted either, neither had my Democrat opponent. It appeared the county had not contacted any of the candidates, on either side, about the draw. Further, at the time of the draw, there was supposedly no Republican representative present in the room.
The following day I went to the Conway County courthouse and asked for the ‘results’ of the draw and why I hadn’t been contacted. The clerk responded they had advertised it in the newspaper and radio. (I have not been able to find the newspaper notice). When I told her most of the candidates didn’t live in the area she, in an annoyed tone, told me to give her my name and she would contact me in the future if there were other events.
The ‘results’ of the ballot draw are questionable at best. Of the 13 ballot positions in Conway County, the top position went to 9 Democrats, 2 Republican, 1 independent, 1 Green. In statewide positions that Conway County would have less impact on or the races are heavily favored Republican the ballot appears ‘randomly’ drawn. However, on the eight bottom or more local races that would have a strong impact on Conway County, all 8 are topped by Democratic candidates. The probability of this having occurred by chance is 1 in 576.
While the top spot may not provide as much of an advantage to today’s candidates with electronic voting machines, draws should nonetheless be conducted openly and fairly. By conducting this draw in the dark Conway County’s Clerk has raised the following questions:
- Is it fair that the people in Greenbrier, Vilonia and Bee Branch have had their State Representative District 47 race influenced by Democrat leaning clerks in Morrilton?
- How will hard working candidates on both sides, and the citizens, know the election is fair and impartial?
- What of the good people in Conway County who consider themselves Democrat’s having their reputations impuned by the questionable acts of county leaders.
This is not about Republican or Democrat it is about the integrity of our elections. With Conway County still saddled with a reputation of questionable politics from the time when County Sheriff Marlin Hawkins wrote his book “How I stole elections for 40 years”, this county needs to be going above and beyond to keep its’ elections in the light.
My Position:
I want the people of my district to know I will not sit idly by while good ‘ol boy politics of the past continue. Too many Americans have died and sacrificed for our freedoms, including our right to vote for there to be any questions about the integrity of our elections. To that end:
- If elected I will propose legislation that before a county draw occurs that each candidate’s campaign is notified in writing, and following the draw each candidate is notified in writing of the outcome. The draws will continue to be open and public as they were in Faulkner County.
- I call on the Conway County Clerk to restore the integrity of her office by re-conducting the draw in an open manner.
Stephen Meeks, Republican Candidate Arkansas State Representative District (47) 501-339-5320
