Voting in Arkansas

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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Arkansas:

See Election administration in Arkansas for more additional information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Voter registration

Eligibility and registration details

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Arkansas, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Arkansas. A voter must be 18 years of age or older on or before Election Day.[1]

Registration must be completed no later than 30 days before the election in which a voter wishes to participate. Citizens must complete and submit a voter registration application to their county clerk or other authorized voter registration agency. Applications may be obtained at the following locations:[1]

  • County clerk's office
  • The Arkansas Secretary of State Elections Division:
  • Local revenue or DMV office
  • Public library
  • Public assistance agency
  • Disability agency
  • Military recruitment office
  • Voter registration drive
  • Online


In-person voting

Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Arkansas, all polls are open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[2]

Voter identification

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Arkansas requires voters to present photo identification while voting. The identification must include the voter’s name and photograph. It must be issued by "the United States, the State of Arkansas, or an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the State of Arkansas." If the identification has an expiration date on it, it cannot be expired for "more than four (4) years before the date of the election in which the voter seeks to vote."[3]

The following list of accepted ID was current as of April 2023. Click here for the Arkansas Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

  • Driver’s license
  • Photo identification card
  • Concealed handgun carry license
  • United States passport
  • Employee badge or identification document issued by an accredited postsecondary education institution in the State of Arkansas
  • United States military identification document
  • Public assistance identification card if it has a photograph
  • Voter verification card as provided under Ark. Code § 7-5-324

"A person who is a resident of a long-term care or residential care facility licensed by the state of Arkansas is not required to verify his or her registration by presenting a document or identification card as described above when voting in person, but must provide documentation from the administrator of the facility attesting that the person is a resident of the facility," according to the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office.[3]

Voters can obtain a free voter verification card at their county clerk’s office. "[V]oters will be required to complete an affidavit stating they do not possess such identification, and must provide documentation containing their full legal name and date of birth, as well as documentation containing their name and residential address."[3]

Early voting

See also: Early voting

Arkansas permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Absentee/mail-in voting

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

Arkansas voters are eligible to vote absentee in an election if they cannot make it to the polls on Election Day for one of the following reasons:[4]

  • The voter will be "unavoidably absent" from his or her polling location on Election Day.
  • The voter is physically unable to visit his or her polling location on Election Day due to illness or disability.
  • The voter is a member of the armed forces.
  • The voter is a citizen temporarily living outside of the United States.

To vote absentee, a request must be received by elections officials either seven days prior to the election (if submitted by mail or fax) or the day before the election (if submitted in person). The absentee ballot must then be returned either in person by close of business the Friday before the election or by mail. If returned by mail, the ballot must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.[5][6]


Local election officials

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

In Arkansas, people convicted of a felony whose sentences have not been discharged or pardoned may not register to vote. Their right to vote is automatically restored upon completion of the entire sentence, including parole or probation.

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[7]


Election agencies

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See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Arkansas can contact the following state and federal agencies.

Secretary of State, Elections Division:

State Capitol, Rm. 256
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Telephone: 501-682-5070
Email: electionsemail@sos.arkansas.gov
http://www.sos.arkansas.gov/

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001
Telephone: 301-563-3919
Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

Noteworthy events

Voter ID requirements (2017-2018)

In March 2017, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) signed into law a bill requiring voters to present photo identification at the polls. Under this law, a voter who does not possess the required form of identification may cast a provisional ballot after signing a sworn statement attesting to his or her identity. In June 2017, the Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners approved rules that created, according to the Associated Press, "a new sort of provisional ballot that's automatically counted unless there's a red flag."[8][9]

On April 26, 2018, Pulaski County Circuit Judge Alice Gray issued a preliminary injunction barring the state from enforcing its voter ID law. The request for the preliminary injunction was made by Barry Haas, an Arkansas voter who alleged that the law was unconstitutional. Gray wrote the following in her order: "Plaintiff is faced with the choice of complying with the unconstitutional requirements imposed by [the voter ID law] or not having his ballot counted during the May 2018 preferential primary. The court finds that this is not really a choice at all, and that irreparable harm would result to plaintiff in the absence of a preliminary injunction, as his ballot will not be counted."[10]

Jeff Priebe, an attorney for Haas, praised the ruling: "We're very pleased with the court's very well-reasoned and thorough opinion. We're still analyzing the opinion, but we're happy the court has decided to protect the voting rights of all Arkansans in the upcoming primary election." On April 27, 2018, Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin (R) and the Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners appealed Gray's ruling to the Arkansas Supreme Court. Martin issued a statement criticizing Gray's ruling: "Changing the rules in the middle of an election is irresponsible and creates confusion for voters. It is our job to uphold the law and to conduct a secure election. Presenting identification is required for almost all facets of American life. Securing the integrity of our electoral system is vitally important."[10][11]

On May 2, 2018, the Arkansas Supreme Court voted 6 to 1 to stay Gray's order, permitting the state to enforce its voter identification law in the May 22, 2018, primary election. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge (R) said the following in a statement: "I am very pleased that the Arkansas Supreme Court agreed with the arguments we made on behalf of the State Board of Election Commissioners that the requirement that a voter show photographic identification or sign a statement affirming his or her identity as a registered voter is not burdensome and helps ensure free and fair elections. The stay issued this afternoon provides needed clarity for Arkansas voters and election officials." Priebe said, "We are disappointed for the voters in Arkansas that the Arkansas Secretary of State and the Attorney General continue to want to enforce an unconstitutional Voter ID Law. We look forward to presenting the whole case to the Arkansas Supreme Court."[12] On October 11, 2018, the Arkansas Supreme Court voted 5 to 2 to uphold the state's voter ID law, allowing for its enforcement in the November 6, 2018, elections and thereafter.[13]

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See also

Elections in Arkansas


External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Arkansas Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Information," accessed April 5, 2023
  2. ↑ Arkansas Code, "Title 7, Chapter 5, Subchapter 43," accessed April 3, 2023
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Arkansas Secretary of State, "A Pocket Guide to Voting in the Natural State," accessed April 3, 2023
  4. ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Voting in Arkansas," accessed April 3, 2023
  5. ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Military and Overseas Citizens," accessed April 3, 2023
  6. ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting," accessed April 3, 2023
  7. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
  8. ↑ Fortune, "Arkansas Governor Signs Bill Reinstating Voter ID law," March 25, 2017
  9. ↑ U.S. News and World Report, "Arkansas Closer to Adopting Voter ID Law," June 22, 2017
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 AP, "Arkansas judge blocks state’s revived voter ID law," April 27, 2018
  11. ↑ Arkansas Online, "Order blocking Arkansas voter ID law appealed," April 28, 2018
  12. ↑ AP, "Arkansas Supreme Court says state can enforce voter ID law," May 2, 2018
  13. ↑ Associated Press, "Arkansas Supreme Court upholds revised voter ID law," October 11, 2018
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