Election Results From Around Arkansas

Voters in Springdale have turned away a measure that would have allowed liquor to be served on Sundays. Voters yesterday in Elkins rejected a proposed sales tax. But residents in Elm Springs and Maumelle agreed to pay higher sales taxes. The Elkins proposal would have raised the city sales tax by a penny. It failed with 228 voters opposed to 70 in favor. In Elm Springs, voters approved a local one cent sales tax, with 66 voters in favor and 49 opposed. The tax will go into the city general fund. Maumelle voters approve a once-cent sales tax for city improvements. About ten percent of Springdale voters turned out to defeat a proposal that would have allowed restaurants to sell alcohol on Sundays. The measure failed with 53 percent opposed and 47 percent in favor. Voters in Fayetteville have agreed to adopt a ban on smoking in restaurants and workplaces. About 12-thousand votes were cast in balloting yesterday, and the ban was narrowly approved by 410 votes. The ban, which does not include smoking in bars and tobacco retail stores, is scheduled to go into effect in 30 days. The city has been debating the issue for months. The city council voted to impose the ban, but vocal opponents gathered signatures for a public referendum. The issue reached its culmination with last night`s vote to approve the smoking ban.