Category Archives: Elections

How many ballot measures? Between 3 and 6

vote, Mark Moore, 16-year-olds, Arkansas, primaries, Goodson, photo ID, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, SAVE America ActHow many constitutional amendments will Arkansas voters consider in November? At least three and as many as six, though probably not that many.

The three that definitely will be on the ballot were referred by lawmakers last year. 

One would amend the Arkansas Constitution’s guarantee of the “right to keep and bear arms, for their common defense” by adding the words “lawful hunting and recreational use; and any other lawful purpose.” It also would include as part of that right the possession and use of ammunition and firearm accessories and components.

Another proposal states that only United States citizens can vote in Arkansas, which is already a constitutional requirement. 

The third would allow cities and counties to create economic development districts. For example, a city could create tax incentives to encourage construction in a decayed area.

Meanwhile, three citizen groups seek to qualify amendments for the ballot.  Continue reading →

Bryan King shows how an independent can get elected

Sen. Bryan King

Sen. Bryan King

Today let’s talk about two independents who were on Arkansas’ March 3 ballot – one explicitly independent, one functionally so. The explicit one, Adam Watson, lost badly. The functional one, Sen. Bryan King, won easily. 

There’s probably a lesson to be learned there – by me, if by no one else.

I’ve long hoped that voters would elect more centrist, commonsense independent candidates who are not beholden to the Republican and Democratic parties, which together have created the $39 trillion national debt. Three or four truly independent U.S. senators could serve as the balance of power and force the two parties to behave more responsibly.

But voters haven’t elected many independents – not at the federal level, and not at the state level. In fact, there have been only eight independent U.S. senators since 1983. There currently are two, but they generally work with Democrats. There’s one independent in the House of Representatives, Rep. Kevin Kiley from California, but until very recently he was a Republican. 

Back to March 3 in Arkansas. Continue reading →

The 2.28% have spoken

The official in charge of Arkansas’ elections probably was elected Tuesday by a little more than 2.28% of the state’s registered voters.

State Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, narrowly defeated Bryan Norris in the Republican primary runoff for secretary of state. The vote was 50.57% to 49.43%, with Hammer receiving 40,920 votes and Norris receiving 40,002.

Hammer and Norris made the March 31 runoff after placing in the top two in the three-candidate primary March 3.

Hammer advances to the November general election, where he will face Democrat Kelly Grappe and Libertarian Michael Pakko. He will be a heavy favorite because he’s the Republican nominee in a Republican state. 

Statewide, 5.13% of the state’s almost 1.8 million registered voters cast ballots in either the Republican or Democratic runoffs.

Voter turnout in the March 3 primaries was much higher – 24.25% between the two parties. Even higher percentages vote in November general elections: 65% in the 2024 presidential election and about 51% in 2022.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Arkansas’ population was a little more than 3.1 million as of last July 1. Hammer’s 40,920 votes means that 1.3% of the state’s total population voted for him. Continue reading →

Is SAVE America Act worth all the trouble?

vote, Mark Moore, 16-year-olds, Arkansas, primaries, Goodson, photo ID, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, SAVE America ActMost Americans agree with requiring voters to present an ID at the ballot box. It’s already the law in Arkansas. Should it be a federal law, and should the government also require people to present a birth certificate or a passport in order to register to vote?

Those questions arise as Republicans in Congress, under President Trump’s leadership, seek to pass the SAVE America Act.

The bill would require voters to present a photo ID when voting in federal elections and to provide documentary proof of citizenship – generally a passport or birth certificate – when registering. 

The House of Representatives passed the bill, 218-213, with one Democrat voting with Republicans. All four members of Arkansas’ congressional delegation voted for it. It’s now in the Senate, where Arkansas Sens. Tom Cotton and John Boozman are co-sponsors.  Continue reading →

Will voters take into account Bryan Norris’s ‘salty language’?

How important is a candidate’s use of online “salty language”? The question arose last week regarding past messages posted on the X social media platform by Bryan Norris, candidate for secretary of state.

Norris placed first in a three-person race in the Republican primary March 3. He faces state Rep. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, who finished a close second, in the March 31 runoff. The runoff is necessary because no candidate won a majority.

The secretary of state’s most noteworthy duty is being in charge of elections at the state level. The officeholder also maintains and secures the State Capitol and administers business filings. 

Norris’ posts came to light on social media last week. In one, he spelled out “f- you” in all caps in a comment directed at Sen. Tom Cotton. Several other posts also are not publishable in a family newspaper.

There was another where he said President Lyndon Johnson, the CIA and Israel assassinated President John F. Kennedy. He told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he was “probably halfway asleep when I wrote that, if I did.” Continue reading →