Carroll County Clerk Connie T. Doss is trying to “flatten the curve” to avoid a last-minute rush for absentee ballots for the November election. “Flatten the curve” has been recommended to avoid lines and make it easier for voters to cast ballots by mail instead of in person.
Doss encourages voters to apply now for absentee ballots. It is anticipated an unprecedented number of county voters will vote by mail in order to be safe from exposure to Covid-19. Currently, the office is receiving 20-30 requests per day.
“Don’t wait. Do it early,” Doss said. “Get it started and you won’t have to worry about it later. It will be taken care of. You will get your ballot in the mail for the general election November 3.”
Arkansas law allows voters to request an absentee ballot if they will be “unavoidably absent” from their polling site on election day. The law does not require you to give a reason beyond that.
“We are not going to be the excuse police and make sure you are unavoidable absent,” Doss said. “Just fill out the paperwork and we will process it. Voters will not have to give a reason for requesting the absentee ballot.”
Probably the most convenient way to request the absentee ballot it to go to the county website, co.carroll.ar.us, click on the “Offices” tab on the upper right corner, then click on the website link under Doss, and then on the “Voter” tab. The menu will include a link to absentee voting. It can be filled out online, printed and mailed in to 210 West Church St., Berryville AR 72616.
If a voter doesn’t have access to the internet, they can call (870) 423-2022 to request an absentee ballot.
“The nice thing about it is if you call, we will highlight what needs to be filled in to request the absentee ballot,” Doss said. “This will help voters to be sure there are not any problems with it that might delay their absentee ballot later.”
The county currently has 16,232 registered voters, with about 68 percent voted in the 2016 general election. Doss said if the state went to an all mail-in election (not absentee), the cost of postage alone could run $21– $22,000. “I can’t even imagine what it would cost larger counties, but the absentee process versus the all mail-in a good alternative for voters,” Doss said.
Nationally there have been people opposed tp voting by mail, due to concerns about voter fraud. But five states allowed vote by mail before Covid-19, and studies have indicated fraud has been very rare.
If a voter has moved recently, Doss recommends calling the office to update the address as soon as possible. In 2019, voters received a postcard asking them to verify their address. She said since the county has already gone through the National Voter Registration Act process to update the voter registration, the records are in good shape.
To verify that you are a registered voter and that your address is correct, go to www.voterview.org, type in your name and birth date, and address information will pop up.
Doss said the county also has more new voting machines that are secure, easy to use and that provide a way to tabulate quickly.
“I know folks think there are so many things that can happen with voting,” she said. “But when it comes to the security of the machines, that is of primary importance.”
After voting, a paper ballot is printed out so voters can make sure their selections are correct, and that’s put in the vote tabulator. The machines are not connected to the Internet, so hacking is not possible, and are kept locked up to prevent tampering before, during, and after elections.
Doss also said the election software that the county now uses is very accurate at determining which ballot voters receive depending on their township lines, county district boundaries, and senatorial districts. Doss said in the primary election earlier this year, Carroll County was one of the first counties in the state to report vote totals.
“That is a huge improvement due to the fantastic software and hardware we now utilize,” Doss said.
There will still be traditional poll sites open for early voting and voting on election day. Currently the Carroll County Courthouse in Berryville is closed to the public because of Covid-19. Doss said that cramped conditions there have long been a problem, so they are working to find a permanent location for the early vote polling site in Eastern District.
There are 15 different personal protection type items being provided to counties through the CARES Act and the Secretary of State’s office to make polling places safe for workers and voters. There will be a touch-free hand sanitizer stations when you come in the door, and plexiglass shields between voters and poll workers. People are required to show a state-issued identification to hold up to the plexiglass shield rather than hand it over as in the past.
There will be signage to keep people socially distanced and poll workers will be wearing masks. Currently voters will not be required to wear masks, but that guidance could change.
All those precautions may seem cumbersome, but Doss said they are designed to make people feel as safe as possible if they decide to come in to vote in person.
In the Western District, which includes Eureka Springs and Holiday Island, the polling place for early vote and voting the day of the election will be St. Elizabeth’s Church on Passion Play Road.
The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 5.