After 2 attempts and about 78 years, Randolph County voters will get to decide in November if they want alcohol sold within their borders.
The Jonesboro Sun reports that on Tuesday, County Clerk Rhonda Blevins certified 4,212 signatures collected by the group Let Randolph County Vote. Only 3,861 signatures were required for the measure to get on the ballot.
Back in 2016, Let Randolph County Vote was known as Keep Revenue in Randolph County and they fell short of the required signatures for the ballot. At the time, multiple pages had invalid signatures which caused the measure to be about 500 names short. Arkansas law says an entire page of signatures can be invalid if at least one signature on the page is invalid.
The issue led to a legal dispute between Blevins and organizer Linda Bowlin. However, the 2nd Judicial District Circuit Court sided with Randolph County and Blevins.
Supporters of the measure say the revenue from alcohol sales will boost the local economy. Opponents fear that alcohol sales will cause an increase in crime in the county.
