Fact Sheet Available for Hempstead County Voters

by Kristin Higgins - February 6, 2020

Voters in Hempstead County will have a local ballot measure to decide when they go to vote in the March 3^rd Preferential Primary elections.

The Public Policy Center at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture partnered with the Hempstead County Extension Office to produce a fact sheet explaining the local ballot measure.

Voters will decide a proposal for a new temporary 1% county-wide sales and use tax. The proposal, if approved by votes, would increase the county’s sales tax rate from 2% to 3% for a period of two years, starting in July 2020 and expiring in June 2022.

What is the Issue?
The ballot title states that the funds raised would go into the county’s general fund. County officials have publicly shared more specific plans saying that if approved, the sales tax revenue would be used to renovate a former bank building the county purchased in 2017 to become the new Hempstead County Courthouse.

Find More Information
The voter guide produced by the Public Policy Center includes more information about the Hempstead County ballot issue, including what supporters and opponents say, information about surrounding county sales taxes, and answers to voters’ frequently asked questions.

Download the fact sheet at www.uaex.uada.edu/business-communities/voter-education/docs/HempsteadCountyFactSheet2020.pdf

Early voting for the election starts Tuesday, Feb. 18. Election Day is March 3. Hempstead County voters can check their voter status or find out where they’re supposed to vote on Election Day by calling the Hempstead County Clerk’s Office at 870-777-2241. You can also check your voter registration status online at www.voterview.ar-nova.org.