The last day of early voting in Jefferson County wasn’t finished for another 79 minutes when it had already set a single-day high for today’s preferential primary election.
Officials inside the Jefferson County Courthouse said Monday’s voting total, as of 3:41 p.m., reached 536. That would bring the total to 3,494 since early voting opened Feb. 20.
That total is still less than half of the 7,637 who voted during the 2022 general election cycle, when Jefferson County voters were choosing a new governor for Arkansas. This time around, the mayorship of Pine Bluff is the big-ticket race, with nearly all of the candidates running on the Democratic ballot.
Mayor Shirley Washington, going for her third four-year term, is facing opposition from Charles Washington, Joni Alexander-Robinson, Vivian Flowers, Steven Mays Sr. and Samuel Glover. The winner will take on Libertarian John Fenley in the November general election.
Tim Whisenhunt and Cameron McCaskill have also announced their candidacies but have not yet filed to run outside of the Democratic party.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Other contested local races on the Jefferson County Democratic ballot include: State representative, District 65 (Kanisher Wooten Caldwell vs. Glenn Barnes); city clerk (incumbent Janice Roberts vs. Mary Liddell); city treasurer (Loretta Whitfield vs. incumbent Gregory Gustek); Ward 1, Position 1, council member (incumbent Lloyd Holcomb Jr. vs. Marlette Boales); Ward 2, Position 1, council member (incumbent Steven Shaner vs. Yvonne Denton); Ward 3, Position 1 council member (incumbent Glen Brown Sr., William Fells and Kenneth Gray Sr.); Ward 4, Position 2 council member (Mar’Tavius Proctor vs. incumbent Bruce Lockett); for Jefferson County justices of the peace, District 1 (incumbent Alfred Carroll Sr. vs. Garland Trice), District 4 (incumbent Patricia Johnson vs. Win Trafford), District 5 (Jimmy Fisher Sr. vs. incumbent Lloyd Franklin II), District 6 (Randy Green vs. incumbent Margarette Williams), District 9 (incumbent Cedric Jackson vs. Joseph O’Neal), and District 13 (Bruce Carman vs. incumbent Brenda Gaddy); Vaugine Township constable (incumbent DeShawn Bennett vs. Leon Warren).
The lone contested local race on the Jefferson County Republican ballot is for Spring Township constable (Clyde McFaniel vs. incumbent Richard Victorino).
The nonpartisan judicial general election candidates are: for state Supreme Court Chief Justice, Position 1, Karen Baker, Rhonda Wood, Jay Martin, and Barbara Womack Webb; state Supreme Court Associate Justice, Position 2, Courtney Hudson vs. Carlton D. Jones; and state District 29 Judge, incumbent John L. Kearney vs. Efrem B. Neely Sr.
Presidential candidates are listed on both Democratic and Republican ballots, as well as unopposed candidates in other races, relative to their parties.
Voting sites
Voting hours for today’s election are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will be held at the following sites:
For precincts 45, 83, 101, 419, 420, 421, 422, 423: St. James United Methodist Church, 900 University.
For precincts 106 and 115: Old Morning Star Baptist Church, 3116 Port Road.
For precincts 104, 105, 108, 111, 112, 454, 455: Sahara Temple, 820 S. Main St.
For precincts 107, 113, 114, 119: Grace Temple Baptist Church, 909 S. Wisconsin.
For precincts 116, 117, 120, 121: Mt. Harmony Baptist Church, 812 E. Harding.
For precincts 122, 123, 124, 126: New St. Hurricane Baptist Church, 3319 Ohio.
For precincts 26, 27, 28, 32, 33, 34, 36, 125, 128, 130: Green Meadows Baptist Annex, 4201 U.S. 65 South.
For precincts 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 211, 214: Revival Time Christian Church, 3206 S. Hazel.
For precincts 215, 218: Church of Christ, 4015 Hazel.
For precincts 150, 209, 210, 212, 213, 216, 217, 219: First Presbyterian Church, 717 W. 32nd Ave.
For precincts 221, 222, 223, 224: First Baptist Church, 6501 S. Hazel.
For precincts 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 417, 450: Highland Baptist Church, 1320 S. Peach.
For precincts 311, 312, 316, 451, 452, 453: St. Peter’s Rock Baptist, 1201 S. Catalpa.
For precincts 314, 322, 324, 325, 326, 327: Faith Community Church, 373 Ryburn Road.
For precincts 315, 317, 318, 319, 323: First Missionary Baptist Church, 4500 Faucett Road.
For precincts 320, 328: Trinity Lutheran Church, 4200 Old Warren Road.
For precincts 60, 330, 331, 332: Central Presbyterian Church, 6300 Trinity Drive.
For precincts 403, 404, 405, 406, 408, 409, 410, 425, 426: Central Baptist Church, 6107 Dollarway Road.
For precincts 61, 62, 64, 407, 412, 414, 415, 416: Gospel Temple Baptist, 1100 Oakwood.
For precincts 3, 510, 530: Humphrey Community Center, 410 S. Division, Humphrey.
For precincts 5, 610, 620: Mt. Bayou Baptist Church, 305 S. Edline, Altheimer.
For precincts 73, 74, 712, 713, 714, 721: White Hall First Baptist Activities Building, 8203 Dollarway Road, White Hall.
For precincts 80, 81, 82, 84, 92, 93, 711, 731, 732, 733: White Hall Community Center, 9801 Dollarway Road, White Hall.
For precincts 87, 94, 810, 820, 830: Family Church-Redfield Campus, 721 Sheridan Road.
For precincts 7, 900: Wabbaseka Community Center, 110 S. First, Wabbaseka.
For precincts 4, 11, 950: Sherrill City Hall, 201 E. Main, Sherrill.
For precincts 1, 2: Tucker Volunteer Fire Department, 3305 Fire Department Road, Tucker.
For precincts 8, 9, 10: Swan Lake VFD, 14997 Arkansas 88 South, Swan Lake.
For precincts 29, 30, 31, 50: Highway 15 Volunteer Fire Department, 10672 U.S. 63 South.
For precincts 51, 53, 56, 57, 59: Harmony Baptist Association, 8869 U.S. 79 South.
For precincts 54, 55, 58, 66, 67: Sulphur Springs Methodist, 9238 Sulphur Springs Road.
For precincts 75, 76,77, 78, 79, 90: Hardin Baptist Church, 300 Todd Lynn Drive, Hardin.
For precincts 85, 86, 89: Harvest Time Church, 13601 Dollarway Road, White Hall.