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Benton County judge and clerk outline new party-registration rule and key dates for March primary
Summary
Benton County Judge Barry Moring and County Clerk Betsy Harrell told residents that the Republican Party's shift to a semi-open primary requires voters to be registered with the party whose primary they want, and they gave registration and early-voting dates: Feb. 2 (registration deadline), Feb. 17'March 2 (early voting), and March 3 (Election Day).
Benton County Judge Barry Moring and County Clerk Betsy Harrell urged residents to check their voter registration and noted a new party-registration requirement ahead of the March primary.
"This month, we're gonna talk about elections," Judge Barry Moring said as he opened the January County Judge's Report, adding that voters should be prepared for the early voting window and the March election date. Moring listed key dates: "February 2 is the last day to register to vote," early voting runs "February 17 and continues through March 2," and "election day is Tuesday, March 3."
Betsy Harrell, Benton County Clerk, explained a change affecting who can receive a Republican primary ballot. "The Republican party decided in June at their state convention to hold a semi open primary rather than the open primary that they had held in the past," Harrell said, and she added that "in order to vote a Republican ballot, you will need to either be registered as Republican or as optional," a registration category she said represents about 83% of registered voters in the county. Harrell said voters registered in any other party will not be eligible for a Republican ballot unless they complete an application to change their registration.
Harrell advised voters they can fill out the application at the polling place on election day but encouraged doing so before early voting begins. "You can do that at the polling site, but we encourage you to take care of that before early voting starts," she said.
The announcement is procedural: no ordinance, resolution, or formal vote was recorded during the report. The county did not cite specific statutes or state code during the remarks; Harrell referred to the Republican Party's decision at its state convention as the basis for the change. Residents who need to check or update their registration were directed to the county's voter-registration website for details and to confirm their current registration status.
Judge Moring closed the report by encouraging turnout: "Please get out and vote in February," and said the County Judge's Report will return next month for February 2026.
