LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — This year is an election year, and thousands of Arkansans will head to the polls in November. National and local races will be decided in the general election, but maybe the least known position that will appear on your ballot is constable.
Amanda Dickens, the Pulaski County Election Coordinator, sat down with us to explain what exactly a constable does.
"A constable is an elected law enforcement position similar to a sheriff, but not quite the full duties of a sheriff, and they’re elected by what’s called a township," she explained.
Townships are geographic and political subdivisions of a county. A constable has the power to make arrests, write citations, and respond to accidents.
“In Pulaski County, we have two townships. One north of the river and one south of the river. We have two constables that are elected for the county,” Dickens explained.
Constables are elected every two years, similar to a justice of the peace, and it’s a partisan position.
"They can run under a Republican ticket or Democratic ticket," she added.
In rural areas of Arkansas where local sheriff's offices and police departments don't have the funding needed to cover the area, reserve officers and constables step in.
Before you head to the polls in November, make sure to know your township and the candidates running for constable.
“This year there’s actually more than one person running in those positions, so it’ll be a little more exciting for us this November," Dickens said.