Early voting turnout in Northwest Arkansas continued to exceed 2022 levels Friday, with Benton and Washington counties reporting thousands of ballots cast ahead of Tuesday’s general election.
Benton County recorded 6,514 ballots Friday, bringing its early-voting total to 60,717, according to county records. The figure for Friday was higher than the county’s busiest single day of early voting in the 2022 nonpresidential election, when 4,700 ballots were cast.
Kimberly Dennison, Benton County’s election coordinator, said early voting remains available through Monday, Nov. 2. Voting began Monday and is being offered at 34 sites operating at different times and on different days across Benton and Washington counties.
- Benton County reported 60,717 early ballots through Friday.
- Washington County recorded 5,915 ballots Friday.
- Early voting continues through Monday, Nov. 2, before Election Day on Nov. 3.
Washington County’s Friday total was more than 35% higher than the comparable Friday before the 2022 election. The county’s early-voting turnout through the same point was 26% higher than it was during the comparable period four years earlier, according to county information.
“Two years ago we had tornado warnings and had to suspend voting for a while. Nobody went home. They waited in the parking deck to vote.” — Jennifer Price, Washington County election coordinator
Price said Washington County has fewer early-voting locations than Benton County. She also said Halloween activities could affect turnout as residents attend parties, prepare children for trick-or-treating and shop for candy.
Voters who recently moved to Benton County from another Arkansas county can go to an early-voting site even if they have not yet registered in Benton County. Dennison said poll workers can transfer an existing registration from another Arkansas county during early voting and on Election Day. Registrations from outside Arkansas cannot be transferred under that process.
Arkansas’ general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. local time. Early-voting locations and hours vary by county and site.
