Arkansas

Arkansas election officials consider AI threats as they coordinate security plans • Arkansas Advocate

Published

1 year ago

October 8, 2024

Arkansas election officials consider AI threats as they coordinate security plans • Arkansas Advocate

For the first time, Arkansas election officials have added artificial intelligence to their list of concerns while preparing for a general election.

The State Board of Election Commissioners oversees all elections in Arkansas, and officials have been gearing up for November’s general election since last fall. Ongoing preparations include coordinating with key players during what SBEC Director Chris Madison calls “election month,” which covers early voting, Election Day and the certification process that follows.

“What we want is a no-drama election [where] voters show up, cast their ballot and then we get good results, timely counted and certified, and there’s like no news stories,” Madison said.

Chris Madison, director of the State Board of Election Commissioners, leads a meeting in Little Rock on July 15, 2024. (Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate)

Madison said his primary concern with artificial intelligence is that quick-spreading false information could overwhelm online channels on Election Day and discourage the public from voting.

“If you hear something that comports with your worldview, then you’re more likely to believe it than disbelieve it,” Madison said. “There’s a lot of people that are suspicious of elections and the processes, and it’s because they don’t necessarily understand all the processes that go into play.”

For example, a photo of officials conducting maintenance on election equipment could spread false messaging that the well-secured machines have been hacked, Madison said. To combat this, Madison said he’s establishing relationships with members of the press.

“A kernel of a little bit of truth could turn into a big popcorn of falseness,” he said. “How do we get ahead of those stories, address those stories or get good information out? That’s the type of stuff we’re talking about.”

At the secretary of state’s office, a team works to ensure candidates, ballot measures and absentee ballots are properly prepared, certified and distributed.

Spokesperson Chris Powell said he recognizes AI technology is “expanding and the potential for that technology is, as yet, unknown.”

The office isn’t moderating the technology, and Powell urged voters to consult with official sources for election-related information, as “inaccurate or deceptive information” can spread quickly.

Safety concerns

Beyond potential AI-related threats, the State Board of Election Commissioners is working closely with the secretary of state’s office, law enforcement agencies and county officials to secure the physical safety of the people at polling sites and deal with threats to election integrity.

Both Madison and Powell said they have had no indication that there will be any election-related violent threats in Arkansas, but the two agencies working with county officials will be the key to a problem-free election.

“One of the big things that we’re doing is making sure that information is flowing from the top down and the bottom up,” Madison said. “If we’re having an incident occurring in a county — we’re working real hard with our county people to know to contact us with the secretary of state’s office so that we can make sure that that’s not occurring elsewhere.”

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Each Arkansas county has a three-person election commission that prepares polling sites and conducts voting on Election Day. The county election commissioners are also responsible for recruiting and training poll workers.

Angela Jean Scott, Republican chair of the Johnson County Board of Election Commissioners, said local poll workers have expressed concerns about Election Day violence based on stories they see in the news.

To protect everyone involved on Election Day, Scott said the commission has been coordinating with local law enforcement and emergency management personnel about potential violent altercations and natural disasters.

From gas leaks to fires, tornadoes and physical altercations, Scott said the commission is prepared for a number of emergencies.

“We want our poll workers to feel secure, and that’s why we’re going through these extra measures to make them feel that we’re looking out for them, because we want them back in two years,” Scott said. “We need them.”

With ‘heated’ Election Day ahead, Arkansas officials rally poll workers

Though Scott said she doesn’t foresee any violence occurring in Johnson County on Election Day, plainclothes officers will be visiting the 12 voting centers throughout the day. If violence does occur, Scott said the best approach is to call 911.

“Because we are a county that doesn’t have a huge expansion of law enforcement, you can’t just have people on standby in areas,” Scott said. “They actually are out working, and so they will be in that area just as soon as they’re called in case of an emergency.”

Johnson County has a population of about 26,000 residents. Clarksville is the county seat, and rural mountain towns dot the northern part of the county.

Election integrity

Election officials’ safety plans don’t stop at keeping people safe, but also extend to the security of ballots.

When the Advocate interviewed Scott, who also serves as Johnson County’s election coordinator, she was ensuring the software within voting machines was accounted for and working, which is a process she referred to as “logistics and accuracy.”

Next week, a small team will send sample ballots through the county’s 55 machines to confirm the selection of all candidates and measures on 76 different ballot types works correctly.

This test process is open to the public for observation and ends on Oct. 11, Scott said. Afterward, the machines are zeroed out and secured until Election Day when a tape showing each machine’s zeroed status will be posted at polling locations.

“As a commission, we have really tried to push education of how the equipment works so people have more faith in it,” said Scott, who also recently spoke to the local Rotary Club about the voting equipment.

During a recent experimental hand-count of sample ballots to verify the machines were tabulating correctly, Scott found human error and machine accuracy.

“These machines are 100% accurate, so I have a lot of faith in them,” she said. “I do not want to hand count ballots.”

The ballots are also considered during each emergency plan, Scott said. Two people are always required to be with the ballots, and after Election Day they are sealed and stored until the certification process begins.

November’s general election will be the first since the Arkansas attorney general’s office launched its Election Integrity Unit. Through the leadership of Wayne Bewley, a former Little Rock assistant police chief, the office will investigate any reports related to the election.

Reports could include residents’ problems with ballot presentation, how a count is being conducted at a polling place or any feature of Election Day that seems amiss, said Jeff LeMaster, spokesperson for the attorney general’s office.

The investigations are a reactive measure to issues that could arise on Election Day, LeMaster said.

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Arkansas

#7 Arkansas 5th After 36 Holes at the Valspar

Published

3 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

#7 Arkansas 5th After 36 Holes at the Valspar

PALM CITY, Fla. – #7 Arkansas sits in fifth place after two rounds Monday in the stacked 16-team Valspar Collegiate Invitational with a 36-hole, 18-under-par score of 550 (270-280), played at the Floridian National Golf Club (par 71).

Top-ranked Auburn leads the way at 538 (-30), followed by #10 Texas Tech (-28), #6 Texas (-20), #30 Florida State (-19) and Arkansas.

Of the 10 rounds played by the Razorbacks on Monday, eight were under par.

Erich Fortlage and Gerardo Gomez are tied for 10th at -6 (136).

Fortlage shot a career-best, bogey-free 65 (-6) in the morning sessions, posting three birdies on each nine, and he was in second place. Fortlage had an even-par round in the afternoon session with three birdies, a bogey and a double.

Gomez had four birdies and a bogey for an opening-round 67, matching his best total for 18 holes for the third time this season. In round two, Gomez turned in a 3-under 69 and moved up two spots into a nine-way tie for 10th.

John Daly II offset a double bogey on the par-5 7th with an eagle on the par-5 15th to finish with a 68 after 18 holes. In round two, Daly was 1-under and is tied for 25th (138 / -4).

Niilo Maki-Petaja carded two rounds of 70 and is tied for 38th (140) while Thomas Curry is tied for 54th (143) with rounds of 70-73.

The Valspar concludes with 18 holes on Tuesday.

VALSPAR COLLEGIATE INVITATIONAL
Host: Houston
Floridian National Golf Club
Palm City, Fla.
Par: 71 • 7,088 yards
Format: 5 count 4 ||36 holes Monday / 18 Holes Tuesday

RESULTS THRU RD2:
1 #1 Auburn   264-274=538 / -30
2 #10 Texas Tech    273-267=540 / -28
3 #6 Texas   268-280=548 / -20
4 #30 Florida State    269-280=550 / -19
5 #7 Arkansas    270-280=550 / -18
6 Houston   271-282=553 / -15
7 #23 Duke    280-274=554 / -14
T8 #14 Oklahoma    274-282=556 / -12
T8 #32 Texas A&M   277-279=556 / -12
10 #24 Southern Cal   277-281=558 / -10
T11 #13 Pepperdine   279-281=560 / -8
T11 #29 Wake Forest   286-274=560 / -8
13 #8 Arizona State   278-283=561 / -7
14 #17 North Carolina 282-280=562 / -6
15 Rice   282-291=571 / +5
16 Augusta   286-294=580 / +12

For more information on Arkansas Men’s Golf, X and Instagram.

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Arizona-Arkansas Sweet 16 tip time set – Arizona Sports

Published

15 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Arizona-Arkansas Sweet 16 tip time set – Arizona Sports

The Sweet 16 matchup between No. 1 Arizona and No. 4 Arkansas is set for Thursday at 6:45 p.m. MST in San Jose.

The game will be televised on CBS during the first day of NCAA Tournament regional semifinal play.

The most recent Arizona-Arkansas meeting occurred in 1995, making this a rare date. For what it’s worth, Arkansas leads the all-time series 6-2 and five of the eight matchups took place in the 1990s.

The other Sweet 16 contest in the West Region will see No. 2 Purdue take on No. 11 Texas, which was a First Four winner. That game will tip at 4:10 p.m. Thursday, also on CBS.

Arizona last qualified for the Elite 8 in the 2014-15 season under the leadership of Sean Miller, who has the chance to face his former school as the head coach of Texas.

Arizona defeated the No. 9 Utah State Aggies in the Round of 32 Sunday, 78-66. Brayden Burries and Koa Peat were the catalysts in holding off the Aggies, despite battling foul trouble as they finished with 16 and 14 points, respectively.

Arkansas punched its ticket into the third round of the national tournament by holding off No. 12 High Point, 94-88, on Saturday. The Razorbacks needed 36 points and eight assists from SEC Player of the Year Darius Acuff Jr. and a couple of late missed 3s from the Panthers’ sharpshooting Chase Johnston to emerge victorious.

The John Calipari-led Razorbacks easily defeated No. 13 Hawaii in the Round of 64.

Tommy Lloyd has not coached the Wildcats past the Sweet 16 in four previous NCAA Tournaments, losing each of his three times in the round (2022, 2024, 2025). His team is poised to do so as a unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press’ Top 25 rankings this season and with a 16-2 record against Quad 1 programs.

Arkansas ended as SEC Tournament champion, defeating Vanderbilt for its first title in 26 years. It finished tied for second with Alabama in the SEC regular-season standings. The Razorbacks, through conference tournament play, were No. 15 in the NCAA net rankings with an 8-8 Quad 1 record and perfect 18-0 mark against Quads 2-4.

Calipari, who is in his second season at Arkansas, led the Razorbacks to the Sweet 16 last season, where they narrowly lost to Texas Tech.

Arkansas most recently made the Elite 8 in 2022, which was its second of two consecutive trips.

Each basketball program possesses a national championship, the Wildcats being victors in 1997 and the Razorbacks in 1994.

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Arkansas alums total six medals on final day of World Indoors

Published

1 day ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas alums total six medals on final day of World Indoors

Shawn Price
March 22, 2026

TORUŃ, POLAND – Arkansas alums collected six medals on the final day of the World Indoor Championships, four medals in the 4 x 400m relay along with individual medals in the 1,500m and pole vault.

Rosey Effiong and Paris Peoples ran the second and third legs of the United States 4 x 400m relay that won the race in 3:25.81. It’s the sixth time for the Americans to claim World Indoor gold in the event.

Bailey Lear ran the opening leg in 51.47. Effiong split 50.83 as she moved USA from third to first on her carry. Peoples maintained the lead with a 52.02 carry. Then Shamier Little closed out the victory with a 51.49 anchor leg.

Finishing behind the Americans were the Netherlands (3:26.00) and Spain (3:26.04) with host Poland (3:26.17) fourth.

Arkansas’ winning time of 3:23.63 to win the NCAA Indoor title a week ago remains the world-leading time for 2026 and would better the World Indoor meet record of 3:23.85 set by USA in 2018.

Effiong produced the second fastest split in the final as her 50.83 only trailed the anchor leg of 50.10 generated by Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, who won the 800m in a championship record of 1:55.30 on the same day. The British placed fifth in 3:28.09.

In the men’s 4 x 400m relay, the United States broke the championship record with a 3:01.52 victory. That bettered the previous mark of 3:01.77 set by Poland in 2018. It’s the 12th World Indoor relay title for the American men.

TJ Tomlyanovich ran the anchor leg for USA during the prelims, splitting 45.98 as the Americans ran 3:04.85 for third place in their heat, advancing to the final on time.

Tyrice Taylor ran third leg for Jamaica in the final, splitting 46.11 as they earned a bronze medal with a time of 3:05.99. In the prelims, Taylor ran second leg (46.14) as the Jamaicans advanced on time with a 3:05.68.

For the second consecutive World Indoor Championships, Tina Šutej earned a silver medals in the pole vault. She cleared 15-9 (4.80) to equal her season’s best and placed second to a 15-11 (4.85) clearance by Molly Caudrey of Great Britain. Three vaulters tied for bronze at 15-5 (4.70).

“Gosh, it’s my fourth medal from World Championships but I still have not got the gold one,” stated the 37-year-old Šutej, who collected indoor bronze in 2022 and outdoor bronze in 2025. “Today, I was so close to upgrading my collection. All season I have had jumps and great feelings. I came to Toruń like a leader but something went wrong at 4.85m. Maybe we had been waiting too long but something was broken. The longer the competition goes, the more troubles I have.

“It’s not easy for me to compete with girls who are younger 10 or 15 years than me but I’m proud I’m still very competitive. Let’s see what happens in the summer. Everyone says about my age. I know that I’m the oldest in the field but I feel good, I jump high and I’m going to continue at this level as long as I enjoy the competitions. I want to keep going and get my mark closer to five meters.”

Nikki Hiltz set a career best of 3:59.68 in finishing with a bronze medal in the 1,500m. The time ranks No. 3 on the U.S. all-time list. The previous best by Hiltz in the 1,500m was 4:02.32 to claim silver at the 2024 World Indoor.

Georgia Hunter Bell established a world-leading time of 3:58.53 for the victory while Australia’s Jessica Hull produced an Area record of 3:59.45 as the runner-up. Agathe Guillemot of France (3:59.71) was edged out of a medal by Hiltz in the final step to the finish line.

“It was fast,” noted Hiltz, who moved from fifth to third over the final lap (29.96 seconds). “I’ve been in a lot of tactical races this season and never broken four minutes so this was different for me. Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts. I think I was in fourth place until the very last step. It just shows you always have to run to the line. You never know what can happen.”

Representing Jamaica in the long jump, Nia Robinson placed fifth with a mark of 22-1.75 (6.75), which left her two inches from the bronze medal distance. It’s the highest finish for an Arkansas alum in the women’s long jump at a World Championship meet. Robinson improved her career best to 22-4.5 (6.82) this indoor season.

In the men’s long jump, Carey McLeod placed ninth with a leap of 26-2.25 (7.98) and was the second Jamaican in the field behind Tajay Gayle, who placed seventh at 26-7.75 (8.12).

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