Alford reminds board of election; says beer, liquor may make ballot

Discussing the upcoming November election with supervisors last week, circuit clerk Vernon Alford said a liquor proposal may appear on the ballot if a group that discussed getting up a petition is successful in gathering enough signatures.
Alford said a drive to collect signatures a couple years ago never gained the amount of names needed. At the time petitions for both liquor and beer were circulated.
The circuit clerk told the board that the party inquiring about the petition was under the impression they would be able to use signatures gathered in the previous drive to get the proposal(s) on the ballot.
Alford said he thinks the group will have to start with a new petition and can’t reuse a previous petition. He said that would be for the attorney general or secretary of state to decide.
Conrad Mord, the board attorney, said the old petitions won’t be allowed because signers may be deceased or moved from the county. He also said he’d heard a group might also seek a beer referendum as well as liquor.
In order for the issues to appear on the November ballot, Alford and his staff would have to receive them in time to verify the signatures as qualified county voters.
In addition to the possibility of beer and alcohol, the presidential race appears on the ballot. One of the state’s U.S. Senate seats is up for election this year, a 3rd Dist. U.S. House seat and judicial candidates. However, Alford says no judicial seats will appear on the November ballot.
On the local level, all of the county’s election commission seats will be on the ballot for the next four-year term, as well as the District 5 school board seat held by Jeffre Conerly, which will be up for a six-year term. School board members serve staggered terms. Members from districts one and two run at the same time; two years later, districts three and four run; and two years later, the district five member runs.
Also in November, there are two special elections that will appear on the ballot. The remaining three years of the District 5 supervisor’s seat is up for grabs after the resignation of Clennel Brown took affect on April 30. Brown, in his third term, resigned after serving only four months citing health reasons. Former supervisor Clifton “Pop” Carr was appointed by the board to serve in the post until the special election.
Also on the special election ballot is the District 4 school board seat, which has been vacant since the death of Eldredge Boyd. The school board failed to agree on an appointment and the post has remained vacant since that time. The special election will fill the remaining four years of Boyd’s term.