Yes, Gentle Voter, the incoming year, now less than a month away -- is a primary election year in Arkansas.
That means, as you already know, there will be lots of announcements of candidates seeking elective office.
Every office from Quorum Court to the Governor's office will be possibly contested. In Arkansas, also there will be several judges' races, at all levels, up for election as well.
Aside from the offices which will be subject to voters' approval on these off-year election cycles (off-set from the national election year in which voters elect the President), there are some major moves underway within the Democratic and Republican parties of Arkansas.
First, some important dates to remember:
Party filing for all candidates, from county offices, state House of Representatives, state Senate, and the state Constitutional offices, officially opens or begins at noon on Thursday, Feb. 22.
The filing deadline or closing of the filing period ends, on Thursday, March 1, usually at noon.
The actual Party Primary Election will be held May 22, a Tuesday, the 4th Tuesday of that month -- a late rarity in election cycles.
Between the two-week filing window, beginning in February and ending in early March, is when both parties, the Republicans and Democrats, meet and gather up potential candidates by assessing filing fees and qualifying them to appear on a partisan ballot on the May 22 primary ballots.
There are 84 days to campaign from March 1 to May 22 -- 84 days to make the message to the voters.
The partisan candidates, should there be an in-party contest, i.e. two Republicans or two Democrats seeking the same office, will square off on May 22 to determine who should represent the prospective political party in the Nov. 6 General Election in 2018 to decide the office.
If there are no inter-party political races -- candidates filing for office at the deadline of March 1 -- will have 251 days -- from March 1 to Nov. 6 -- to campaign before the voters go to the polls to decide the office holder by their vote.
Whew! That is a long, long election cycle.
To use an example of filing fees (for state offices are set by the two state political parties, i.e. Democrats and Republicans), candidates seeking the office of state House of Representatives, for example, must pay $3,000 for the right to file for the state House. Other offices have higher filing fees set by the parties.
Democratic Party officials actually lowered its filing fee from $3,500 to $3,000 to match the GOP for the state House seats.
Local filing fees, charged by both parties, for running for Quorum Court, County Judge, Sheriff, and other county offices are set by the local County Party officials. Those filing fees differ by county and often by political party.
Filing fees are fees used by the political party to offset costs for the operations of the county political party.
Democrats, do, however, allow candidates, rather than pay a filing fee, for state House of Representatives, to petition the electorate in the district to sign a petition for them. Candidates must collect up to 8 percent of the total number of voters who have voted in a previous primary ballot or a set number of signatures set by the state party, to qualify as not having to pay a filing fee.
The Arkansas Republican Party has no such signature collection system, according to a spokesman for the state GOP.
All Republicans seeking a state office must pay the filing fee.
In past years, both Democrats and Republicans, filing with no in-party opponent, have been refunded a portion or all of their filing fee. This was to help candidates who had no in-party opposition but faced a November opponent.
It is not easy, or cheap to run for political office.
And the bookkeeping required by the state laws and the State Ethic's Commission on political contributions is not something to be taken lightly either.
Remember election year is just around the corner.
-- Maylon Rice is a former journalist who worked for several northwest Arkansas publications. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 12/13/2017