BY ADAM WALLWORTH Northwest Arkansas Times
Posted on Wednesday, August 27, 2003
Residents of Fayetteville could end up making the decision about the proposed ban on smoking and the Committee for a Free Choice Fayetteville wants to make sure the vote is representational, a member said Tuesday. "It's a given as far as I'm concerned," Rick Schweik said about the possibility of the City Council referring to the people the decision over the proposed ordinance that would ban smoking in restaurants and places of employment.
Schweik, owner of Cool Water Village Cafe, said the committee will hold a voter registration drive Friday in anticipation of the referendum. The goal is to encourage people to fulfill their civic duty and to make sure those residents who want to vote can meet the deadline, he said.
Residents must be registered 30 days in advance of an election to be allowed to cast a vote.
Schweik said that all residents are invited attend the rally no matter what their stance is on the smoking issue. "If you support the ban come on down and register to vote for poop's sake. It's about your civic duty," Schweik said.
Washington County Clerk Karen Combs Pritchard said residents who participate will not be officially registered until the county clerk's office processes the applications. If residents choose to take the application home, they must also submit a copy of a current and valid photo identification, paycheck or utility bill to avoid being registered as a first-time voter, she said.
While all voters must provide identification at the polling place, failure to do so for a first-time voter could prevent their vote from being counted, Pritchard said. First-time voters who do not provide the required identification must use a provisional ballot, she said. "There is a good possibility it will not count if a provisional ballot [is used,]" Pritchard said. "I'm not the one to make that decision but it would behoove someone to get their ID if they're a first-time voter."
Schweik said he would hand deliver the applications to the clerk's office to prevent residents from being registered as first-time voters.
The event will be from held from 1 to 7 p.m. in the parking lot at Cool Water at 2223 N. College Ave. and will include activities such as registration for free dinners, movie tickets and other prizes. Those in attendance will also be given a stamp that will be worth a discount at Cool Water, Jose's, Bordino's, Club West, Fuzzy's, Art's Place, Dave's on Dickson, On the Mark, Common Grounds and others.
Tim Humphries, general counsel for Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels, said that while there are no laws that regulate voter registration drives, there are laws against influencing a person's vote.
Graham Sloan, director of the Arkansas Election Commission, said that a voter registration drive would not require registration as a lobby group. He said that if a group was trying to influence the council to refer the issue then the regulations could apply. "If it is just strictly to register voters and not communicating with council members I don't think voter registration would constitute lobbying," Sloan said. "Until you have a legislative question [a group] can't be trying to influence its passage or defeat."
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