Democrats in Washington, Pulaski and 15 other counties can pick delegates to their state convention by telephone or video, the state party's executive committee confirmed in a special meeting Saturday.
Washington County Democrats, among others, raised the issue last month because of the spread of the coronavirus and the governor's ban on gatherings of 10 or more people to stem its spread. The danger from the virus may also make holding the May 30 state convention "by somewhat similar means" advisable, party chairman Michael John Gray told the committee.
Delaying the state convention is not practical, Gray told the group. The state convention is set for May 30. The national party set the deadline for states to name their delegates to the national convention for June 9. The June 9 deadline did not change even though the convention itself was pushed back from July to August because of the pandemic. The state Democratic convention will select 36 delegates to the national convention.
State party rules appeared to require in-person county gatherings, Washington County Democrats and others had told the state party. State party staff members conferred with state and national rules committees. The executive committee was told Saturday -- in a conference using live computer video or telephones for the 35 people attending -- that remote-link county conventions are allowed if the state party agreed on a format that all of the counties would use.
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The executive committee approved a process that will use secure documents to serve as ballots or tally sheets in the delegate selection process. Similar procedures worked out earlier this year in Nevada served as a valuable guide, Chief of Staff Karyn Coleman told the committee.
Most counties selected their delegates before the social distancing rules clamped down, the committee was told. Other counties do not need a special convention because they have no more delegate candidates running than they have delegate slots to fill, staff members told the committee.
However, the 17 counties remaining includes the state party's two largest: Pulaski and Washington.
State Republican rules already had provisions for meetings by electronic link, Doyle Webb, state party chairman, said in a telephone interview Saturday. Several counties have already selected their delegates by electronic methods, he said.
In another matter, independent U.S. Senate candidate Dan Whitfield of Bella Vista asked if the Democratic Party would consider supporting his candidacy, Gray told the group. Democratic nominee Josh Mahony of Fayetteville dropped out shortly after candidate filing closed, leaving Democrats with no rival to incumbent Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican.
The idea drew little support, and then committee member Michael McCray ended the matter with a motion: "I move 'h*** no.'" The motion passed with no dissenting vote.
SundayMonday on 04/05/2020