Arkansas

Land Acknowledgement

Arkansas is not home to any federally recognized tribes, but it is the traditional homeland of many tribes.

Overview

You can register to vote by mail or in person. Arkansas does not provide online voter registration. The deadline to register to vote is October 11.

Key Dates

October 11 - Voter registration deadline

November 1 - Deadline to request an absentee ballot

November 8 - Election Day

Contacts

County Clerk office
Secretary of State Elections, Division or call (501) 682-6244 or (800) 482-1127

Arkansas Voting Guide

Note: The information below is not legal advice on how to vote. Because voting information is changing rapidly during this election, make sure you check the links provided and check with your state about deadlines and voting specifics.

Registering to Vote

  • Voter registration deadline is October 11 by mail and in person. If you register to vote by mail, it must be postmarked by that date. Arkansas does not offer online voter registration.

  • No.

  • You must provide either your Arkansas driver's license number or the last four digits of your Social Security Number on your Arkansas Voter Registration Application. Or, you may check the box in #9 on the application to indicate that you do not possess either a driver's license or Social Security Number.

  • If you do not receive mail at your residence, you must provide a residential address AND a mailing address. If you do not have an address at your residence you may provide a map of its location, including the nearest cross streets or any identifying landmarks, such as schools, churches, stores, or other landmarks.

  • You can contact your County Clerk or the Arkansas Secretary of State to verify that your address is valid. You do not need an address to register, but you must provide a map depicting the location of your home with significant landmarks and nearest cross streets. Your County Clerk can be found online here or you can contact the Secretary of State online here or call at (501) 682-6244 or (800) 482-1127

  • You may get an Arkansas driver's license at your local Department of Motor Vehicles office. You can find your nearest Department of Motor Vehicles office online here.

  • No.

  • No.

  • Yes. You may register to vote in person by picking up an application from your local County Clerk, from the Arkansas Secretary of State Elections Division, your local revenue or Department of Motor Vehicles office, a public library, a voter registration drive, a disability assistance agency, or a military recruitment office. After completing the form, you may return it to your local County Clerk. You can find your County Clerk's office online here.

  • Yes. You may pick up a form or submit an online request form or download and print the voter registration application and mail it to your local County Clerk. To submit an online request form for a voter registration application to be mailed to you, visit this website.

  • You may not register to vote if you are a convicted felon whose sentence has not been served or pardoned. Once your sentence has been served, you may register to vote.

  • You can contact your local County Clerk online here or the Arkansas Secretary of State with any questions about voter registration. You can contact the Secretary of State online here or call (501) 682-6244 or (800) 482-1127

  • The voter registration deadline is October 11.

  • Yes, under federal law you can assist someone in registering to vote if they do not speak English well, if they have trouble reading or writing, or if they have a disability.

Checking & Updating Voter Registration

  • You can check your voter registration status online using Arkansas' Voter View system.

  • You can call your local County Clerk to check your voter registration. Find your County Clerk Here.

  • You must submit a new voter registration application if you have moved. If you changed your name, complete the name change portion of the voter registration application. You may do so by picking up a registration form or requesting a voter registration application online or downloading and printing this form and mailing it to your County Clerk or dropping it off in person. Visit this webpage to submit an online request form for a voter registration application to be mailed to you.

  • Maybe. Periodically, counties will mail notices to voters who have not voted in several elections in order to update voter rolls. If you receive such a notice, it is important that you mark your correct address and return the card to the County Clerk so that your registration can be updated. You can find your County Clerk's office online here.

Voting by Mail/Absentee/Ballot Drop-Off

  • The deadline to request an absentee ballot varies depending on if you submit it in person, through a Designated Bearer or Administrator, by mail or by electronic means, or by an authorized agent. You must indicate the reason you are requesting an absentee ballot. You can find the qualifications online here. You may cast a provisional ballot. If so, you have the right to be informed in writing whether or not your ballot was counted and, if not, the reason it was not counted.

  • Yes. Please check that you have filled out all required fields and signed your ballot. USPS recommends you mail in your ballot a week before the deadline to ensure your ballot is received on time. However, please factor in your personal experience with mail delivery times to and from your place of residence or where you drop off your ballot.

  • You can request to have an absentee ballot application sent to you by contacting your County Clerk in the county where you are registered to vote. You can also download and complete an absentee ballot application. Return this application to the County Clerk in the county where you are registered to vote. You can find the printable absentee ballot application online here. For more information on how to complete the application, visit this website.

  • Yes. To be qualified to vote using an absentee ballot, you must meet one of the following criteria: you will be unavoidably absent from your polling site on Election Day; you will be unable to attend your polling site on Election Day due to illness or physical disability; you are a member of the Uniformed Services, merchant marines or the spouse or a dependant family member and are away from your polling location due to the member's active duty status; or a U.S. citizen whose residence is in Arkansas but is temporarily living outside the territorial limits of the United States.

  • Yes.

  • You can request a mail-in ballot in person, through a Designated Bearer or administrator, by mail or by electronic means, or by an authorized agent. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in person or through a Designated Bearer or administrator is by close of business at your County Clerk's office on November 4. A Designated Bearer is anyone you choose to pick up and/or deliver your application or ballot. The deadline is November 1 if you request your absentee ballot by mail. The deadline to request an absentee ballot through an authorized agent is by 1:30PM on Election Day. The authorized agent must file with the County Clerk an affidavit from the administrative head of a hospital or nursing home located in this state verifying that you are a patient of the hospital or long-term care or residential care facility licensed by the state and are thereby unable to vote on Election Day at your regular polling site.

  • It varies by county. Contact your local County Clerk to find out when ballots will be mailed. You can contact your County Clerk online here.

  • You can have a ballot sent to your residential or mailing address. Whichever you choose, it must be the same as provided on your voter registration form. You may also pick up your ballot from your local County Clerk, you can find their information online here.

  • This may vary by county. Contact your local County Clerk to determine whether you will need to provide your own stamp and how many to put on the mailed ballot.

  • Your ballot must be received by your local County Clerk by 7:30PM on Election Day. If you are unsure whether your mail will be delivered by then, drop your ballot off in person if you are able.

  • Yes. You may drop off your ballot at your local County Clerk's office by close of business on November 4. You can find your County Clerk office online here.

  • Yes, but only if you meet the qualifications of an absentee voter. You may have a Designated Bearer or an authorized agent to return your ballot.

  • No.

  • No.

  • Yes. If your name and address provided on the ballot do not match those on the voter rolls, or if the Election Commission determines your signature does not match, your vote may not be counted. If the ballot is rejected, the County Clerk must notify you of the rejection.

  • Yes. You can track your ballot using the Arkansas' Voter View system.

  • You can contact your local County Clerk if you encounter any issues with your absentee ballot.

Voting In-Person

  • You can find your polling location and hours online here.

  • No.

  • Yes. Early voting begins on October 24 between the hours of 8AM and 6PM, Monday through Friday, and 10AM to 4PM on Saturday. Early voting ends at 5PM on November 7. Early voting varies by county. Contact your County Clerk or visit this site to find your polling location and hours.

  • Yes. You must provide a photo ID. Acceptable forms of ID include an Arkansas driver's license, an Arkansas photo ID card, a concealed handgun carry license, U.S. passport, an employee badge or identification document issued by an accredited postsecondary education institution in the State of Arkansas, U.S. military ID, public assistance ID card if the card shows a photograph of yourself, or a voter verification card. If you are voting for the first time in Arkansas, registered to vote by mail, and did not submit a copy of your ID when you registered, you will need to show ID to vote. Acceptable forms include a driver's license or non-driver's license ID, current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document with your name and address.

  • If you do not have an adequate ID, you may obtain a free voter verification card at your local County Clerk's office. You can also obtain a ID at your local Department of Motor Vehicles office.

  • Yes. You may cast a provisional ballot if you registered to vote but your name does not appear on the precinct voter registration list, or if you are unable to comply with the identification requirements. You must sign an affirmation that you are a registered voter in the county and are eligible to vote in this election. If you cast a provisional ballot, you have the right to be informed in writing whether or not your ballot was counted and, if not, the reason it was not counted.

  • Yes. Under federal law (Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act), you are entitled to bring anyone you trust, such as a friend, family member, or neighbor, to the polling place AND into the polling booth to assist with voting. However, that person may not be your employer, running in the election, or a representative of your labor union. The person giving assistance also may not tell the voter how to vote.

  • You can contact your local County Clerk for updated information. You may also contact the Arkansas Secretary of State or log on to Voter View.