Paper Ballot Advocate Facing Misdemeanor for Alleged Election Law Violation by Arkansas AG

BATESVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Attorney General has filed a misdemeanor charge for violation of election law against an Arkansas conservative radio host, who is calling the charge “lawfare.”

Col. Conrad Reynolds is facing a Class A misdemeanor charge of violation of election law, Arkansas AG Tim Griffin said in a press release on Thursday. A misdemeanor warrant has been issued for his arrest, and he is expected to be booked on Wednesday, Reynolds said in a separate release.

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According to the probable cause affidavit, on November 5, 2024, Independence County Election Coordinator Cathy Drew said she received numerous complaints from voters as they entered the Batesville Community Center, a polling location, to vote.

Complaints said that two men, Reynolds and Dustin Black, were asking voters questions near the entrance of the polling location. Black is also being charged. The affidavit calls their activity “electioneering.”

Electioneering refers to efforts by political groups or individuals to persuade voters to support or oppose specific candidates, political parties, or ballot issues in an upcoming election. This can involve displaying campaign signs, distributing literature, or directly soliciting votes for or against a person, party, or position.

– Cornell Law School

Special Agent Steven McClanahan from the AG’s office took measurements and wrote in his affidavit that Reynolds and Black were approximately 30 feet from the polling location.

“Arkansas Code § 7-1-103 prohibits electioneering in the building or within 100 feet of the primary exterior entrance used by voters in which voting is taking place, or with persons standing in line to vote,” the AG’s press release said. “That same statute also makes it unlawful for a person to enter or remain within the 100-foot area unless the person is entering or leaving the building for lawful purposes where voting is taking place.”

A witness working at the front desk told authorities she received a complaint stating the men were telling people how to vote.

Griffin said the case is about one thing — following the law. Reynolds disagreed in a press release.

“This is nothing short of lawfare,” Reynolds said in the release. “Just like Letitia James in New York and Fani Willis in Georgia have gone after President Trump, now Tim Griffin is doing the same here in Arkansas. This isn’t about law—it’s about power. The establishment is trying to stop the paper ballot movement before it spreads to other counties. They’re terrified of losing control of the election system.”

Reynolds compared the case to that of former national security adviser General Michael Flynn’s prosecution.

Attorney Chris Corbitt of Conway is representing Reynolds, according to the press release.

“It’s lawfare—targeting a decorated Army veteran because he’s been effective,” Corbitt said in the release. “Colonel Reynolds has worked tirelessly to strengthen election security in Arkansas and across the nation, and now he’s being punished for it. We look forward to having our day in court.”

Class A misdemeanors are punishable in Arkansas by a fine of up to $2,500 and up to one year in jail.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Read the full press release from AG Tim Griffin:

Griffin: ‘This case, and the misdemeanor warrants we obtained, are about one thing: following the law’

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement regarding warrants his office has obtained for Conrad Reynolds and Dustin Black on misdemeanor charges of violating Arkansas’s election laws:

“This case was referred to my office by the State Board of Election Commissioners after the board received it from a local election official. My career law enforcement officers conducted their investigation based solely on the facts, and it was done by the book. Charges were filed by Senior Assistant Attorney General Jeanna Sherrill, who was appointed as a special prosecutor by the circuit court in this case.

“Arkansas Code § 7-1-103 prohibits electioneering in the building or within 100 feet of the primary exterior entrance used by voters in which voting is taking place, or with persons standing in line to vote. That same statute also makes it unlawful for a person to enter or remain within the 100-foot area unless the person is entering or leaving the building for lawful purposes where voting is taking place.

“The evidence in this case includes a video of both men conducting exit polling approximately 30 feet from a polling site. This case, and the misdemeanor warrants we obtained, are about one thing: following the law. The subjects of our investigation were treated no differently than any subject of other investigations we have conducted.”

To read the affidavits, click here.

On Thursday, the following press release was issued by Col. Conrad Reynolds:

Arkansas AG Targets Decorated Veteran Leading Trump’s Paper Ballot Movement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 9, 2025

Conway, Arkansas

Decorated U.S. Army veteran Colonel Conrad Reynolds is expected to face criminal charges following an investigation by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. The alleged violation involves “exit polling” during the November 2024 ballot referendum in Independence County, where voters made history by becoming the first county in the nation to have a direct say in how their elections are run—with 63% voting to return to hand-marked paper ballots and move away from touchscreen voting machines.

Colonel Reynolds—soon to be inducted into the Arkansas Military Veterans’ Hall of Fame—has been a national leader in election reform, working closely with members of President Trump’s team in Washington, D.C. on election security and national defense vulnerabilities in voting systems. Reynolds continues to hold a Top Secret security clearance, which includes routine polygraph examinations.

Reynolds is scheduled to be booked at the Independence County Courthouse in Batesville, Arkansas, on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

“This is nothing short of lawfare,” Reynolds said. “Just like Letitia James in New York and Fani Willis in Georgia have gone after President Trump, now Tim Griffin is doing the same here in Arkansas. This isn’t about law—it’s about power. The establishment is trying to stop the paper ballot movement before it spreads to other counties. They’re terrified of losing control of the election system.”

Parallels to National Lawfare Cases

Reynolds drew comparisons to national cases of political targeting, including General Michael Flynn and Tina Peters, both of whom faced retaliation for exposing government misconduct.

“These are all examples of the same machine at work,” Reynolds said. “When patriots challenge corruption, the establishment—whether wearing a blue tie or a red one—deploys lawfare to crush them. General Flynn was destroyed for revealing intelligence abuse. Tina Peters was destroyed for exposing vulnerabilities in voting machines. And now I’m being targeted for helping Independence County voters choose paper ballots. This is about silencing the movement toward election transparency.”

Legal Team Responds

Attorney Chris Corbitt of Conway, Arkansas, who is representing Colonel Reynolds, said his client has been advised not to discuss specifics of the case but made clear that “the genesis of this case is retribution for Colonel Reynolds’ political activism in support of paper ballots.”

Corbitt added. “It’s lawfare—targeting a decorated Army veteran because he’s been effective. Colonel Reynolds has worked tirelessly to strengthen election security in Arkansas and across the nation, and now he’s being punished for it. We look forward to having our day in court.”

Arkansas Republican Leadership Under Fire

Reynolds said the charges reveal a deep betrayal by Arkansas’s Republican leadership, accusing them of protecting the system instead of the people.

“The leadership in this state—Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Secretary of State Cole Jester, and Attorney General Tim Griffin—have chosen to defend the machines, not the voters,” Reynolds said. “They see Independence County’s success as a threat. Sixty-three percent of the people voted for paper ballots, and instead of celebrating that democratic victory, they’re trying to make an example out of me to stop other counties from following suit.”

“Governor Sanders and Secretary Jester are the ones people look to when deciding election policy, and they’ve stood in the way of the people’s will,” Reynolds said. “It was Secretary Jester’s State Board of Election Commissioners that went after the Searcy County election commissioners -after they successfully ran paper ballot elections in 2024. Now they’re doing the same thing to me.”

“A Damning Reflection of What the GOP Has Become”

Will Huff, co-host with Reynolds of The Colonel of Truth radio show and a consultant working with members of the Trump administration on election security, condemned the state’s Republican establishment for weaponizing power against its own citizens.

“I’m ashamed to be a Republican in Arkansas,” Huff said. “Our leaders have become indistinguishable from the Democrats they claim to oppose. They gutted the Freedom of Information Act, stripped away citizens’ rights to petition for ballot initiatives, and ignored their members’ overwhelming demands for election reform. They punished the Searcy County commissioners for proving paper ballots work. They banned the Saline County GOP for being too conservative. And now they’re targeting Colonel Reynolds for helping Independence County voters choose transparency.”
Huff continued, “This is a damning reflection of what the GOP has become—an establishment machine protecting power instead of principle. If we don’t clean house in 2026, Arkansas Republicans will be no different from the bureaucrats in Washington.”

A Call for Arkansas Voters to Take Back Their State

Huff urged Arkansans to use the March 2026 Republican primary to reclaim their state government.

“The Republican Party of Arkansas ignored its own members’ vote to close the primary to Democrats,” Huff said. “If you want real change, grab a Republican ballot in March and vote out every single incumbent. Anyone not registered as a Democrat can vote in the Republican primary—so use that power to restore accountability.”

A Veteran’s Resolve

Despite the looming charges, Colonel Reynolds remains resolute.

“I spent 29 years in Army intelligence defending this nation,” Reynolds said. “I won’t stop fighting for free and fair elections. Independence County showed the courage to stand up for paper ballots—and I will not let their voice, or their victory, be silenced- no matter how much persecution comes my way.”