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Thursday, November 21, 2024

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Federal inquiry traces payments from Gaetz to women; a new Florida-Puerto Rico partnership poised to transform higher-ed landscape; MT joins Tribes to target Canadian mining pollution; Heart health plummets in rural SD and nationwide; CO working families would pay more under Trump tax proposals.

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Transgender rights in Congress, a historic win for Utah's youngest elected official, scrutiny of Democratic Party leadership, and the economic impact of Trump's tax proposals highlight America's shifting political and social landscape.

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The CDC has a new plan to improve the health of rural Americans, updated data could better prepare folks for flash floods like those that devastated Appalachia, and Native American Tribes could play a key role in the nation's energy future.

Lower early voting numbers in AR compared to 2020

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Monday, November 4, 2024   

Election officials in Arkansas say fewer people cast early votes in this year's general election than in 2020.

They say more people voted early four years ago because of the pandemic, but University of Arkansas Political Science Professor Andrew Dowdle said the state is known for its low voter turnout.

He said only 62% of voting age people are registered to vote, and the state doesn't try to reach people in rural areas.

"They've made it so that if you are a high-probability voter, it's very easy for you to vote," said Dowdle. "We've not done a good job in terms of reaching out to those people who are lower-probability voters."

Dowdle said the larger counties have multiple early voting locations, but in many smaller communities, early voting is limited to the courthouse or county seat.

He added that Arkansas is also known for rejecting mail-in ballots in large numbers, especially in rural counties with a large African American population.

"It's going to be heavily scrutinized," said Dowdle. "You're going to have to provide a pretty strong rationalization and then there's going to be a number of efforts that are going to be made. The burden of trying to get in a mail-in ballot it's just a lot higher than other states."

Early voting was heavy in Benton and Washington counties in northwest Arkansas. Dowdle blamed the overall low voter turnout on complacency.

"People kind of talk about Arkansas and say, 'Well Arkansas is not a red state, it's just a state that doesn't vote,'" said Dowdle, "but most polls have shown that there's not a lot of variation between voters and non-voters. It would move Arkansas a little bit from dark red to light red."

The polls will be open tomorrow from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. If you're in line before the polls close, you will be allowed to cast your ballot.




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