*The Quorum Court used an emergency ordinance to repeal paper ballots, eliminating the public’s right to challenge the decision*
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When the Independence County Quorum Court voted 9-0 on December 11, 2025 to repeal the voter-approved paper ballot ordinance, they did not pass a regular ordinance. They passed an emergency ordinance.
That distinction matters more than most people realize.
## What an Emergency Clause Does
Under Arkansas law, a regular county ordinance does not take effect immediately. There is a waiting period during which citizens can gather signatures to force a referendum, putting the question directly to voters. This is a fundamental check on legislative power. If enough citizens disagree with what their representatives did, they can take the question back to the ballot box.
An emergency ordinance bypasses that process entirely. It takes effect immediately upon passage. No waiting period. No opportunity to gather signatures. No referendum.
The Quorum Court’s decision to include an emergency clause in Ordinance 2025-27 meant that the 8,309 voters who approved paper ballots had no mechanism to challenge the repeal through the democratic process.
## Was There Actually an Emergency?
The justification for the emergency was that the March 2026 primary election was approaching and the county needed certainty about its voting procedures.
Consider the timeline:
– **October 30, 2025:** Arkansas Supreme Court issues Evans v. Harrison ruling
– **December 11, 2025:** Quorum Court passes emergency repeal (43 days later)
– **March 3, 2026:** Primary election (82 days after repeal)
The Supreme Court ruling was 43 days old when the QC acted. The primary was still 82 days away. If this was truly an emergency requiring immediate action, why did the QC wait 43 days after the ruling to act?
A genuine emergency does not wait six weeks. What happened on December 11 was not an emergency response. It was a calculated decision to use the emergency mechanism for a specific purpose: preventing voters from having any say.
## The 13-Month Gap
Consider the broader timeline. Voters approved paper ballots on November 5, 2024. The repeal came on December 11, 2025. That is 13 months.
For 13 months, the Quorum Court had the voter-approved ordinance on the books. For 13 months, the county could have been implementing paper ballots as the voters directed. Instead, only $2,057 of the $183,250 budgeted for implementation was actually spent (1.12%).
Then, when the opportunity arose to repeal, the QC moved with sudden urgency, declaring an “emergency” to foreclose any public response.
Thirteen months of inaction. Then an emergency.
## What This Means for Voters
The emergency clause did not just repeal an ordinance. It removed the voters’ last check on the process. Under normal circumstances, citizens who disagreed with the repeal could have organized a referendum petition, just as they organized the original paper ballot petition. The question would have gone back to the ballot.
The emergency clause made sure that could not happen.
Every member of the Quorum Court who voted for this ordinance, with its emergency clause, voted to ensure that voters could not challenge their decision. Every single one.
## The Vote
| District | Name | Vote |
|———-|——|——|
| 1 | Tim Stewart | YES |
| 2 | Johnny McMullin | YES |
| 3 | Brent Henderson | YES |
| 4 | Brad Covington | YES |
| 5 | Cliff Barnett (appointed, never elected) | YES |
| 6 | Tammy Pearce | YES |
| 7 | Jason W. Jones | ABSENT |
| 8 | Kenny Hurley | YES |
| 9 | Johnathan Abbott | YES |
| 10 | Charles W. Jordan | ABSENT |
| 11 | Dennis Stephens | YES |
Nine voted yes. Two were absent. Not a single JP present voted to preserve the will of 8,309 voters.
## The Question
If the Quorum Court believed their repeal was legally sound and represented the best interests of Independence County, why did they need an emergency clause?
If the repeal was the right decision, it should have been able to withstand public scrutiny and the possibility of a referendum. The fact that the QC chose to eliminate that possibility tells you something about their confidence in the public’s response.
The emergency clause was not about election logistics. It was about making sure voters could not do what voters do: vote.
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*Sources: Ordinance 2025-27 (Independence County), Ordinance 2024-18 (Independence County), Evans v. Harrison, 2025 Ark. 164, Independence County election results November 5, 2024, Quorum Court meeting minutes December 11, 2025.*