Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Arkansas

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Note: This article is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.

In order to get on the ballot in Arkansas, a candidate for president of the United States must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A presidential candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for president of the United States.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a political party. Presidential nominees are selected by delegates at national nominating conventions. Individual states conduct caucuses or primary elections to determine which delegates will be sent to the national convention.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent presidential candidates typically must petition in each state in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

The information on this page applies only to presidential candidates. For additional information about ballot access requirements for state and congressional candidates, see this page.

HIGHLIGHTS

In Arkansas, a presidential candidate seeking a major party's nomination must file with his or her party as well as the secretary of state. A filing fee may be required. An independent presidential candidate must collect at least 5,000 signatures to get on the general election ballot. Arkansas does not permit write-in candidates in presidential elections.

See state election laws

Year-specific filing information

See also: Important dates in the 2024 presidential race

2024

The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Arkansas in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Arkansas, click here.

Presidential primary candidates

Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Arkansas, 2024
State	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Arkansas	Democratic	5,000	Fixed by party	$2,500.00	Fixed by party	11/14/23	Source, Source
Arkansas	Republican	N/A	N/A	$25,000	Fixed by party	11/14/23	Source, Source

Independent presidential candidates

Filing requirements for independent candidates in Arkansas, 2024
State	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Arkansas	5,000	Fixed by statute	N/A	N/A	8/1/2024	Source

For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

2020

The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Arkansas in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Arkansas, click here.

Presidential primary candidates

Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Arkansas, 2020
State	Party	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Arkansas	Democratic	5,000	Fixed by party	$2,500.00	Fixed by party	11/12/2019	Source
Arkansas	Republican	N/A	N/A	Unknown	Fixed by party	11/12/2019	Source

Independent presidential candidates

Filing requirements for independent candidates in Arkansas, 2020
State	Signatures required	Signature formula	Filing fee	Filing fee formula	Filing deadline	Source
Arkansas	1,000	Fixed by statute	N/A	N/A	8/3/2020	Source

2016

The calendar below lists important filing deadlines in Arkansas for the 2016 presidential election. For information about campaign finance reporting deadlines, see below.

Legend:      Ballot access     Election date

Dates and requirements for presidential candidates in 2016
Deadline	Event type	Event description
November 2, 2015	Ballot access	Primary filing period opens at 12:00 p.m.
November 9, 2015	Ballot access	Primary filing period closes at 12:00 p.m.
March 1, 2016	Election date	Preferential primary election
August 1, 2016	Ballot access	Petition deadline for political group and independent presidential candidates
September 15, 2016	Ballot access	Political parties, political groups, and independent candidates must submit lists of presidential electors to the secretary of state
November 8, 2016	Election date	General election
Source: Arkansas Secretary of State, "2016 Election Dates," accessed August 19, 2015

Qualifications

Article 2, Section 1, of the United States Constitution sets the following qualifications for the presidency:

“	No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.	”
—United States Constitution

Article 2, Section 4, of the United States Constitution says an individual can be disqualified from the presidency if impeached and convicted:

“	The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.	”
—United States Constitution

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution says an individual can also be disqualified from the presidency under the following conditions:

“	No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.	”
—United States Constitution

Party nomination processes

See also: Primary election and Caucus

Hover over the terms below to display definitions.

Ballot access laws

Primary election

Caucus

Delegate

A political party formally nominates its presidential candidate at a national nominating convention. At this convention, state delegates select the party's nominee. Prior to the nominating convention, the states conduct presidential preference primaries or caucuses. Generally speaking, only state-recognized parties—such as the Democratic Party and the Republican Party—conduct primaries and caucuses. These elections measure voter preference for the various candidates and help determine which delegates will be sent to the national nominating convention.

The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, the governing bodies of the nation's two major parties, establish their own guidelines for the presidential nomination process. State-level affiliates of the parties also have some say in determining rules and provisions in their own states. Individuals interested in learning more about the nomination process should contact the political parties themselves for full details.

In Arkansas, the Democratic and Republican parties conduct presidential preference primaries. To qualify for placement on the primary ballot, a candidate must file the following items with the secretary of the state committee of his or her party:

1. an affidavit of eligibility "stating that the candidate is eligible to serve in the office he or she seeks"
2. a party filing fee, if required (fees are set by the parties themselves)
3. a party pledge, if required

Upon filing these items, the candidate must obtain a party certificate from his or her political party. The candidate must then file the party certificate, as well as a political practices pledge, with the Arkansas Secretary of State. The filing period opens at 12:00 p.m. on the first Monday in November and ends at 12:00 p.m. seven days later.

General election requirements

The president is elected by the Electoral College, which comprises 538 electors from all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C.

The president of the United States is elected not by popular vote, but by the Electoral College. The Electoral College comprises a total of 538 electors. Each state is allocated a number of electors equal to the size of its congressional delegation. The Office of the Federal Register administers the Electoral College process:

“	On Election Day, the voters in each State choose the Electors by casting votes for the presidential candidate of their choice. The Electors’ names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State. The winning candidate in each State—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of the Electors—is awarded all of the State’s Electors.	”
—The Office of the Federal Register

Typically, electors are selected by state parties. Federal law does not require electors to vote "according to the results of the popular vote in their states." Some states and political parties have enacted policies requiring their electors to vote in accordance with the popular vote. According to the Office of the Federal Register, "throughout our history as a nation, more than 99 percent of electors have voted as pledged."

Arkansas was allocated six electoral votes, the same number it was allocated in the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential contests.

Political parties and political groups

A state-recognized political party or group must submit a list of its presidential electors to the Arkansas Secretary of State by September 15 in the year of the election. State law stipulates that this filing "shall be deemed and taken to be the choosing and selection of the electors of Arkansas, if the party or group is successful at the polls, ... in choosing their candidates for president and vice president."

In Arkansas, a political party is defined as any group whose candidate for governor or president won at least 3 percent of the total votes cast for those offices in the most recent general election. A political group that does not qualify as a political party can petition to have the names of its presidential and vice presidential candidates printed on the general election ballot. At least 5,000 qualified state voters must sign the petition, which must be submitted to the secretary of state by noon on the first Monday in August of the year of the election. The secretary of state must verify the petition within 10 days of filing.

Independent candidates

An independent candidate can petition to have his or her name printed on the ballot as a candidate for the presidency. At least 5,000 qualified state voters must sign the petition, which must be submitted to the secretary of state by noon on the first Monday in August in the year of the election. The secretary of state must verify the petition within 10 days of filing.

Running for multiple offices

Some states prohibit candidates for the presidency from seeking other offices simultaneously. Arkansas state law does not prohibit a candidate for president or vice president from running as a candidate for any other office.

“	The appearance on the general election ballot of the name of a party nominee for the office of President or Vice President of the United States in lieu of the names of the candidates for electors for the offices shall not limit or restrict the party nominee so named from being a candidate in his or her own right for any office to be filled at the general election	”
—Arkansas Code of 1987, Section 7-8-303

Sore loser laws

See also: Sore loser laws for presidential candidates

Some states bar candidates who sought, but failed, to secure the nomination of a political party from running as independents in the general election. These restrictions are sometimes called sore loser laws. Under Arkansas state law, a candidate who sought the nomination of a political party is not eligible to run as an independent or write-in candidate for the same office in the general election. Such a candidate is also prohibited from running with another party for the same office in the general election.

Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, has argued that, generally speaking, "sore loser laws have been construed not to apply to presidential primaries." His analysis of state sore loser laws and their applicability in presidential elections can be accessed here.

Write-in requirements

Arkansas state law does not permit write-in candidates in presidential elections.

Historical information

See also: Historical signature requirements for independent and minor party presidential candidates

According to Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, between 1892 and 2012 there were 401 instances in which a state required an independent or unqualified party candidate to collect more than 5,000 signatures in order to appear on the general election ballot. In Arkansas, there were two such instances during this period; no parties or candidates qualified in either case. Arkansas has not required an independent or nonqualified party candidate to collect more than 5,000 signatures since 1976. See the table below for further details. The first column lists the state, the second lists the year, and the third lists the signature requirement. Columns four through nine list candidates and/or parties that met the requirement.

Filing requirements for independent and minor party candidates, 1894-2012
State	Year	Requirement	Successful parties or candidates
			Arkansas	1972	42,644	--	--	--	--	--	--
Arkansas	1976	38,219	--	--	--	--	--	--

Noteworthy events

2021

On March 8, 2021, Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) signed HB1338 into law, raising the petition requirement for independent political group candidates from 1,000 to 5,000 signatures. The legislation cleared the Alabama House of Representatives 93-0, with three members not voting and four members voting "present." The bill cleared the Alabama State Senate 29-3, with one member not voting and two members excused.

Campaign finance requirements

See also: Campaign finance requirements in Arkansas

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the only agency authorized to regulate the financing of presidential and other federal campaigns (i.e., campaigns for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives). The states cannot impose additional requirements on federal candidates. Federal law requires all presidential candidates to file a statement of candidacy within 15 days of receiving contributions or making expenditures that exceed $5,000. The statement of candidacy is the only federally mandated ballot access requirement for presidential candidates; all other ballot access procedures are mandated at the state level. The candidacy statement authorizes "a principal campaign committee to raise and spend funds" on behalf of the candidate. Within 10 days of filing the candidacy statement, the committee must file a statement of organization with the FEC. In addition, federal law establishes contribution limits for presidential candidates. These limits are detailed in the table below. The uppermost row indicates the recipient type; the leftmost column indicates the donor type.

Federal contribution limits, 2023-2024
	Candidate committees	Political action committees	State and district party committees	National party committees	Additional national party committee accounts
Individual	$3,300 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$41,300 per year	$123,900 per account, per year
Candidate committee	$2,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Multicandidate political action committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	$5,000 per year (combined)	$15,000 per year	$45,000 per account, per year
Other political action committee	$3,300 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$41,300 per year	$123,900 per account, per year
State and district party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
National party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $3,300 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $3,300 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed May 8, 2023

Presidential candidate committees are required to file regular campaign finance reports disclosing "all of their receipts and disbursements" either quarterly or monthly. Committees may choose which filing schedule to follow, but they must notify the FEC in writing and "may change their filing frequency no more than once per calendar year."

For contribution limits from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

Federal contribution limits, 2019-2020
	Candidate committees	Political action committees	State and district party committees	National party committees	Additional national party committee accounts
Individual	$2,800 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$33,500 per year	$106,500 per account, per year
Candidate committee	$2,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Multicandidate political action committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	$5,000 per year (combined)	$15,000 per year	$45,000 per account, per year
Other political action committee	$2,800 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$35,500 per year	$106,500 per account, per year
State and district party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
National party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,800 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,800 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed August 8, 2019

Federal contribution limits, 2015-2016
	Candidate committees	Political action committees	State and district party committees	National party committees	Additional national party committee accounts
Individual	$2,700 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$33,400 per year	$100,200 per account, per year
Candidate committee	$2,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Multicandidate political action committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	$5,000 per year (combined)	$15,000 per year	$45,000 per account, per year
Other political action committee	$2,700 per election	$5,000 per year	$10,000 per year (combined)	$33,400 per year	$100,200 per account, per year
State and district party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
National party committee	$5,000 per election	$5,000 per year	Unlimited transfers	Unlimited transfers	N/A
Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,700 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,700 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source: Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015

Election agencies

The Federal Election Commission is the only agency authorized to regulate campaign financing for federal candidates.

Federal Election Commission

1050 First Street, NE

Washington, D.C. 20463

Telephone: 800-424-9530

Email: info@fec.gov

Arkansas Secretary of State, Elections Division

500 Woodlane Street, Room 026

Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

Telephone: 501-682-5070

Email: electionsemail@sos.arkansas.gov

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See also

• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Arkansas
• Presidential election, 2024
• Ballot access for presidential candidates

External links

• Federal Election Commission