All About Voting

Register to Vote | Voting In Arkansas | Other Common Voting Questions

Want your voice to be heard, but don't know how? The information below tells you everything you need to know about becoming an active Arkansas voter -- how to register, ways you can vote, what to expect at the polls and more. Just click on the links to read more, then Vote Naturally!

Requires Adobe Reader to view.

Register to Vote

Registration Requirements

To register to vote in Arkansas, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Be an Arkansas resident (residing in Arkansas at least 31 days prior to the first election in which you will vote).
• Be age 18 or turn 18 on or before the next election.
• Not be a convicted felon whose sentence has not been discharged or pardoned.
• Not be presently adjudged as mentally incompetent as to your ability to vote by a court of competent jurisdiction.
• Not be registered elsewhere - in another county in Arkansas or another state.

Click here to find a list of all of Arkansas County Clerks - PDF

Back to top

Where Can I Apply?

Register to vote at your local:

• County clerk's office in your home county
• State Revenue Office, Driver Services (pick up a paper form or ask for your
  information to be transmitted electronically)
  
• Public library or Arkansas State Library
  
• Public assistance agency
  
• Disability agency
  
• Military recruitment office
  
• Arkansas National Guard
  
• Voter registration drive

Apply by mail. Obtain an application from:

• Your county clerk
  
• Secretary of State Elections Division, 1-800-247-3312
  
• Arkansas Secretary of State
  • Arkansas Voter Registration Form - English - PDF
  • Arkansas Voter Registration Form - Spanish - PDF
  • National Voter Registration Form - English - PDF
  • National Voter Registration Form - Spanish - PDF

Back to top

Identification Requirements

If you are registering to vote by mail:

You must provide either your driver's license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number on your Arkansas Voter Registration Application, or check the box in #7 on the application to indicate that you do not possess either a driver's license or Social Security number.

If you check the box indicating that you do not possess either a driver's license or Social Security number, you may be required to vote a Provisional Ballot when you vote for the first time unless you submit a photocopy of one of the following with your mail-in application or at the time of voting:

1. Current and valid photo identification,
   or
   
2. A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck that shows your name and address,
   or
   
3. Another government document that shows your name and address

Back to top

Registration Deadlines

• You must submit your application to an official voter registration agency or mail it no later than 30 days prior to an election in which you wish to vote. The postmark on a mail-in application will be considered the submission date.
  
• If you completed your application at a voter registration drive, the organizers must submit it to the county clerk or Secretary of State's office within 21 days of the date on the application or no later than 30 days prior to the next election.
  
• If you submit your application close to an election registration deadline, you are strongly advised to follow up on your registration status with your county clerk before Election Day.
  
• If an election deadline is looming, there is one method of application that will ensure your eligibility: apply in person with your county clerk.
• If you have not received verification from your county clerk, be sure to confirm your registration BEFORE Election Day.
  

How Do I Know I'm Registered?

• Consider yourself registered when- and only when- you receive an acknowledgment from your county clerk. This could take several weeks, regardless of your method of application.
• Never assume you are registered to vote until you have received this acknowledgment.
  
• Call your county clerk after two weeks and inquire about the status of your application.
• Check your voter registration status online by visiting www.voterview.org.

Back to top

Special Registration Issues

If you are registered in another state or county:

• If you have moved to Arkansas from another state, notify the voter registrar in your previous state of residence to request cancellation.
  
• Similarly, if you have moved from one county to another within Arkansas, you must cancel your registration in the old county and re-register in your new county of residence.
  
• For questions about canceling your registration, please ask your local county clerk for assistance.

If you are a college student attending college OUTSIDE of your home county:

You must decide which county you consider "home." If you intend to return to live in your home county, then list your parents' address as your residence. If you do NOT intend to return there, then list your college address as your residence. Remember: you must keep your residence address CURRENT on your voter registration. This requirement often persuades college students to use their parents' address, which may be less likely to change repeatedly.

If you are in the military:

You may register to vote in the office of the county clerk in the county in which you reside or you may register using the mail registration form. Federal Law requires that a single Federal Post Card Application (FPCA SF-76) simultaneously serves all states and territories as both a registration form and application for absentee ballot.

Military personnel may contact the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) or their Voting Assistance Officer for further information or to obtain a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). Call 1-800-438-8683 or e-mail the program at [email protected] or visit the website at www.fvap.gov.

For more information, see the Arkansas Secretary of State's Military Voting information page.

If you own property in more than one county:
You must register to vote wherever you actually "live or reside." Owning property or a business in a county does not constitute residency there.

Back to top

FAQ's on Voter Registration

Q: Am I registered to vote when I send in my voter registration form?
A: No, submitting your voter application at a state agency, in a voter registration drive or through the U.S. Postal Service does NOT guarantee your registration. You should follow up on the status of your registration just as you would on any other personal business matter. Before considering yourself a registered voter, you must receive an acknowledgment of your registration from the county clerk.

Unfortunately each Election Day, many would-be first-time voters in Arkansas do not have their votes counted because they are not actually registered to vote. Many believed they had registered months before, but failed to follow up when they did not receive a voter ID card from their county clerk. The process of voter registration is convenient, but it also places responsibility on the registrant to ensure the process is completed.

FOLLOW UP ON YOUR
VOTER REGISTRATION
BEFORE ELECTION TIME!

Q: I live in one county but work in another. I would like to vote in the county where I work because I am more involved in that community. Can I change my registration to the county where I work?
A: No. Arkansas law requires you to register in the county where you reside.

Q: I have moved twice in the last few years to different counties in Arkansas, but never transferred my previous voter registrations. How can I transfer my name from the old voter rolls and move my registration to my new county of residence?
A: In Arkansas, moving across county lines requires transferring the registration to the new county. Be sure to submit your updated registration to the county clerk in your new county no later than four days before a scheduled election so you can vote there. If your application arrives less than four days before an election, you will not be eligible to vote in your new county for that election. (Act 556 of 2007)

Q: My neighbors were born in South America but they vote in every election here. Is that legal?
A: If they are naturalized U.S. citizens, are at least 18 years old, are Arkansas residents, are not felons who have not discharged their sentences, and have not been determined to be mentally incompetent to register and vote, then they are eligible to register and vote. Anyone who is a naturalized citizen meeting these requirements may vote if they have registered at least 30 days prior to the election. (ACA 7-5-201)

Q:  I got married last summer and changed my name. I recently re-registered in my married name. What should I do to be sure that my previous registration in my maiden name is canceled?
A:One of the most common causes of duplicate registrations is a name change after marriage. To inform your county clerk of the change, simply complete the name change portion of the voter registration application.

Q: Can anyone distribute Voter Registration Applications and Applications for Absentee Ballots?
A: Yes, ANYONE may distribute these applications. Voter Registration Applications are available from the Secretary of State; applications collected during a voter registration drive must be returned to the Secretary of State or the local county clerk within 21 days after the date on the application or no later than 30 days prior to the next election. Applications for Absentee Ballots are available from your local county clerk.

Q: My daughter wants to transfer her voter registration from our hometown to her new college campus. Can she do that?
A: Students may be considered to be residents of the place where they lived prior to becoming a student. However, a student may also have the intent to be a resident of the new place and be registered there. Of course, a student may not be registered and vote in more than one place. This also applies to people on temporary job assignments in other areas of the state.
(ACA 7-5-201)

Q: My husband and I are retired. We spend winters at home in south Arkansas and summers in the mountains in Colorado. What residence should we use to determine where we are entitled to register and vote?
A: This is a decision you will have to make, but you must choose only one voting location. In general, your residence is where your family lives, where you physically reside, the place you intend to return to live, where your driver's license says you live, where you claim your homeowner's property tax exemption, etc. Many factors affect residency.

Q: I recently decided to register to vote for the first time, so I filled out a voter registration application at a booth at the county fair. It was a little more than a month before the next election. When I went to the polls to vote, I was told that I was not registered. What should I do?
A: You are not legally registered until the county clerk records your registration. Arkansas law requires organizers of voter registration drives to submit those applications within 21 days of the drive or no later than 30 days prior to an election. If they did not do so, you would not be eligible to vote in that election. Check with your county clerk to see if your application has been received and is complete so that you can vote in the next election.

Back to top