The race for who will govern the Natural State for the next four years begins this morning.

What's happening: Early voting for the May 24 preferential primary election officially starts at 8am today and ends at 5pm on May 23.

Why it matters: About 80% of Arkansas state legislative seats will be settled by the May primary and not the general election in November, U of A political science professor Janine Parry told KUAF-FM.

• "Not to mention all the county-level offices and anything else that's partisan — the general election will be a walk for them, so it all boils down to the [primary] election," Parry said.

"Voting in November is like showing up on Tuesday for Monday night football," Sen. Jim Hendren (I-Sulfur Springs) told Axios recently. "It'll be over."

Threat level: Primaries typically have low voter turnout. In Arkansas, only between 20% and 40% of registered voters turned out for primary elections in the past decade, so a minority of voters make choices for the majority of residents.

The intrigue: Arkansas' open primary means voters can choose to participate in either the Democrat or Republican primary, regardless of which party they're registered with.

• To help educate Arkansans about which primary their vote will have the most impact, independent group Common Ground AR has launched the Personal Impact Calculator.
• At a glance, voters can see which primaries dominate in their counties.

Context: Hendren founded Common Ground AR last year after he split with the Republican party over partisan issues. He's not seeking reelection.

Things you should know: The deadline to register to vote in the primary has already passed, but there's still plenty of time to register for the November general election.

• The deadline to request a ballot by mail is May 17. To drop it off in person, the deadline is May 20.

Full voting guide: What NWA voters need to know for 2022 primary elections

The Heartland Summit, an in-person embodiment of the Heartland Forward think tank, will be in Bentonville this Wednesday and Thursday.

Why it matters: The goal of the summit is to encourage economic growth in the center of the U.S. by convening civic leaders, investors and innovative thinkers for frank discussions.

What's happening: The summit is invitation-only, but the public is invited to participate in two events that bookend the gathering:

• A screening of the HBO documentary "Our Towns," about the rise of civic and economic reinvention in small cities will be from 3pm to 4:30pm on Wednesday, May 11 at the Momentary. The showing is free, but registration is required.
• A concert featuring Old Crow Medicine Show with Brittney Spencer will be held on the Momentary Green Thursday, May 12 at 7:30pm. Tickets are required and range from $20 to $150.

🏘 The Fayetteville Housing Authority, which has been under investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, misspent money and must reimburse it. It’s unclear how much. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

☕️ Springdale is getting a second Starbucks. (Talk Business & Politics)

🥎 The Arkansas Razorbacks softball team won its first outright SEC title over the weekend. (Arkansas Razorbacks)

🏥 Ozarks Community Hospital opened a walk-in lab in Bentonville. (Talk Business & Politics)

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, patients experiencing early miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies or life-threatening medical conditions could also lose access to timely care, Axios' Tina Reed reports.

State of play: Women who need to terminate their pregnancies for life-saving reasons will have a more difficult time obtaining help, even in states that allow an exception for cases where the mother's life is at risk, said Neel Shah, chief medical officer at Maven, a virtual women's health clinic.

By the numbers: Only 10% of Americans say abortion should be illegal in all cases with or without exceptions, according to Pew Research.

• About 38% of Arkansas favor laws making it more difficult to get an abortion, according to the 2021 Arkansas Poll conducted by the University of Arkansas. That's a drop from 46% in 2001.

👀 Check out who’s hiring on our Job Board.

1. Organizational Change Management Lead at Arvest.
2. Lead Graphic Designer at the University of Arkansas.
3. National Account Manager at Mr. Comfort Coffee.

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"Fiddler on the Roof" will be on stage at the Walton Arts Center starting tomorrow night.

Details: The show is at 7pm. A total of eight showtimes run through Sunday. Ticket prices range from $51-$102.