POCAHONTAS -- Randolph County residents who signed a petition to get an alcohol sales measure on the county's November ballot have filed a lawsuit against the county clerk for denying the ballot request.
Randolph County clerk Rhonda Blevins says that the Keep Revenue group, which advocates for allowing alcohol sales in the dry county, fell 361 signatures short of getting the measure on the ballot.
Keep Revenue committee chairman Linda Bowlin says the county clerk used an invalidated part of an Arkansas law to deny the group's petition efforts.
Bowlin said Blevins rejected 169 pages of signatures because each page contained at least one name from a person who wasn't registered to vote in Randolph County. Bowlin said each page contained five signatures.
Blevins told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette she followed state law when validating the petitions.
"Our goal was to attempt to verify every name on the petition we had on file," Blevins said. "Any voter not counted was due to a statutory qualification."
This is the second time residents have tried to get an alcohol sales measure on the Randolph County ballot. The effort failed two years ago when supporters did not get enough signatures.
Bowlin said she is pushing for the county to allow alcohol sales to keep revenue from leaving the area. Pocahontas residents drive to neighboring Sharp County or drive about 30 miles to Missouri to purchase alcohol.
State Desk on 08/17/2016