§ 6-14-102 - Annual school election date -- Special school election.
6-14-102. Annual school election date -- Special school election.
(a) (1) The annual school election shall be held in each school district of the state on the third Tuesday in September.
(2) The annual school election shall only concern issues authorized to be on the ballot by the Arkansas Constitution or by statute, and no other issues shall appear on the ballot.
(b) The board of directors of any school district shall have the authority to hold a school election concerning the tax rate or debt issues on a date other than that fixed by law provided that:
(1) All constitutional and statutory requirements for the annual school election are met, notwithstanding subdivision (a)(1) of this section;
(2) The election is held before the date of the annual school election; and
(3) The Commissioner of Education approves the date of the election.
(c) (1) In any election year, if no more than one (1) candidate for any school district director position presents a petition or notice as required by 6-14-111 and if there are no other ballot issues to be submitted to school district electors for consideration, with the exception of the local tax rate if that rate is not being changed or restructured, the board of directors of any school district, by resolution, may request the county board of election commissioners to reduce the number of polling places or to open no polling places on election day so that the election can be conducted by absentee ballot and early voting only.
(2) (A) If requested by proper resolution adopted by the board of directors of any school district, the county board of election commissioners may provide that no polling places be open on election day so that the election can be conducted by absentee ballot and early voting only.
(B) In a county that uses voting machines or electronic vote tabulating devices, the county board of election commissioners may choose to use paper ballots counted by hand and may provide that no voting machines shall be used in the election, notwithstanding any other provision in the Arkansas Code.