Sebastian County election commissioner has felony conviction

Robert Medley, Fort Smith Times Record
·2 min read
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Jason Andrew Vineyard, a Sebastian County Election Commission, chairman, has a felony conviction that makes him ineligible to vote, the prosecuting attorney reported Monday.

Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel Shue reports Vineyard, 43, Republican Election Commissioner, has a 2003 felony conviction. Vineyard has reportedly been removed as the Sebastian County Election Commission chairman.

Shue sent a letter to Sharon Brooks, Sebastian County Clerk, notifying the office that Vineyard is ineligible to vote, despite the fact he had continued to vote in elections since his conviction. The letter states that Shue was responding to a recent request from Brooks on whether Vineyard is ineligible to vote.

Lee Webb, Democrat election commissioner, said Monday he was not aware if Vineyard had been removed as chairman.

Daniel Shue is seeking re-election in the prosecuting attorney's office.
Daniel Shue is seeking re-election in the prosecuting attorney's office.

Either the Circuit Court or the Sebastian County Republican Party could remove Vineyard. Larry Bishop, Sebastian County Republican Committee chairman, told reporters Vineyard had been removed from the commission Monday.

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"It is part of a long list of stuff that has been going on the last few months," Webb said.

Election commissioners administer conduction and tabulation of all Sebastian County elections.

Vineyard entered a guilty plea to a felony charge of writing a hot check in 2003, court records show.

He was received a 10-year, suspended sentence and was ordered to pay $20,055 restitution.

Shue reported in the restitution had not been paid in full.

"For some yet-to-be-determined reason, the Circuit Clerk, at that time) either failed to notify the County Clerk (at that time) of his conviction in 2003 or the County Clerk did not cancel his voter registration back in 2003. Therefore, it is the opinion of this office that Jason Andrew Vineyard has been convicted of a felony, that he has not satisfied the other terms of his sentence and thus has not discharged his sentence or been pardoned."

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Sebastian County Election Commission chairman removed due to felony