COUNTY OFFICIAL


PROFILE


Pictured are Crystal Graddy, Chris Graddy, Kayla Graddy, Hannah Wilburn, Ben Wilburn, James Wilburn and Chase Graddy. “In my district, there was a problem … with long lines in one


precinct, and we were able to get voters to just go down the road to the neighboring precinct, and it sure eased the situation up,” he said. “Everybody got through in a timely manner.” James Trammell of Harrison was superintendent of the Alpena School District in 2012. He said the law change proved convenient for him.


“I thought it was the greatest thing going on Election Day … super efficient,” he said. Unable to vote early in the morning because he had to be at work,


the new law allowed Trammell to walk during his lunch hour to the voting precinct in Alpena, where he cast a ballot, even though his assigned precinct was more than 10 miles away in Harrison. “I was able to vote right there at Alpena, and it took me all of about five minutes, as opposed to trying to get back to the polls back in Harrison,” he said.


After learning of Boone County’s election law change, state


Reps. Mary Slinkard of Gravette and Nate Bell of Mena proposed a statewide initiative to allow other counties do what Boone County had done. Act 1297 of 2013 allows all counties with electronic poll books to allow voters to cast ballots at any precinct in their county. “It’s voluntary, they don’t have to do it if they don’t want,”


Graddy said. I


n her capacity as county clerk, Graddy also serves as second vice president of the Arkansas Association of County Clerk’s,


COUNTY LINES, SPRING 2014


and she sits on a number of committees with the Association of Arkansas Counties. She also is on the Commission of State Land’s advisory group.


Te meetings keep her busy, but she still finds time to help her son raise show chickens and to referee high school volleyball matches. Graddy and her husband Chris, an Arkansas state trooper, have four children between them. Te oldest, 23-year-old James Wil- burn, is a graduate of North Arkansas College in Harrison and owns a trucking business in town. Ben Wilburn, 22, is set to graduate from the University of Arkan- sas in May with a degree in agriculture business. He has received an assistantship at the university, where he plans to pursue a master’s degree in economics. His wife, Hanna, has a degree in Spanish from the university and plans to become a registered nurse. Kayla Grady, 21, is studying early childhood education at North


Arkansas College and plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree from Ar- kansas Tech University. Te Graddy’s youngest child, 16-year-old Chase, is completing his sophomore year at Valley Springs High School and serves as manager of the basketball team. Trough his participation in Future Farmers of America, Chase introduced his parents to raising and showing chickens. “We own a little farm, and the two older sons showed cattle,”


See “Graddy” on Page 40 >>> 39


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