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A total of 745 Baxter County voters cast early ballots Tuesday on the first day of early voting in the Republican runoff election, according to Baxter County Election Coordinator Lindsay Roberts.
The first-day turnout represents roughly 2.4% of the county’s 31,056 registered voters.
The runoff ballot features two races. The headliner is the Baxter County sheriff’s race between Mark Hollingsworth, a retired Arkansas State Police major, and Brian Davis, a patrol lieutenant at the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office. The ballot also includes the Republican runoff for secretary of state between Bryan Norris and Sen. Kim Hammer.
Hollingsworth led the March 3 primary with 3,346 votes, roughly 46%, to Davis’ 2,917 votes, about 40%. Neither cleared the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff. Henry Campfield was eliminated with 1,012 votes.
Because no Democratic candidate filed for sheriff, the winner of the Republican runoff will be the next Baxter County sheriff, succeeding John Montgomery, who is not seeking re-election after more than 20 years leading the department.
Early voting continues Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day at First United Methodist Church, 605 W. 6th St. in Mountain Home. Early voting resumes Monday, March 30.
Election Day is Tuesday, March 31. Polls open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Voters may cast ballots at any of the county’s vote centers.
Voters who wish to cast an absentee ballot may contact the Baxter County Clerk’s office at 1 E. 7th St., Suite 103, by phone at (870) 425-3475 or (870) 580-5602. Sample ballots are available at voterview.ar-nova.org/voterview.
