The Union County Election Commission met this week to finalize plans for upcoming school elections.
Four candidates who all currently serve on their respective school boards are running unopposed for the positions they hold, and four districts also have millage issues on the ballot.
Running unopposed are Kenneth Clemons for the Zone 2 position on the El Dorado School Board; Keith Smith for the Zone 4 position on the El Dorado School Board; Billy Joe Smith for the Zone 2 position on the Junction City School Board; and Bonnie Fish for the Parkers Chapel School Board.
The PC, JC, Strong-Huttig and Smackover-Norphlet school districts' millages will remain unchanged after the election because none are seeking additional funding from local property taxes.
The current millage rate for the PCSD is 39.8 mills; for the JCSD, 40.9 mills; for Strong-Huttig, 39 mills; and for Smackover-Norphlet, 41 mills. The El Dorado School District's millage will not be voted on this year.
On Tuesday, election commissioners confirmed that the election will be held in a "election by candidate" format. According to Arkansas code, during odd-year elections where there are no contested races or changes in schools' millages, candidates may vote for themselves and for or against millage issues.
Commission Chair Cliff Wright explained that holding the election in that manner will save the county and school districts money.
"We can have voting on Election Day and not have early voting and not have absentee. This means... that we will not have to open the Auditorium up for five days of early voting – which, the school districts pay for their school elections – which is going to save them thousands of dollars," he said.
Each district must approve a resolution okaying the election by candidate forum. The El Dorado, PC, Strong-Huttig and Smackover-Norphlet school boards all approved the resolution during their regular meetings Monday, April 10. The Junction City School District will consider the resolution at their regular meeting next Tuesday, April 18.
El Dorado Superintendent Jim Tucker said the "election by candidate" would save the district about $3,000.
The election has been scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on May 9. Wright said the candidates and superintendents from the Strong-Huttig and Smackover-Norphlet school districts will vote for themselves and the millages.
"If any of them had opposition, we'd have had to have a full-fledged election with absentee voting, but since nobody filed against any incumbent, there's no sense having an election," said Democratic commissioner Floyd Thomas.
The vote totals will be forwarded to the Arkansas Secretary of State's office the same day, said Mike Hayes, a Republican election commissioner.