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!

Voting in Arkansas

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Now that you're a registered voter, the next step is to get informed on the candidates and issues and get ready to cast your ballot! To make voting as easy and convenient as possible, Arkansas offers three simple methods of voting to fit your needs.

Election Information

• 2008 Preferential Presidential Primary Information - PDF | HTML
• 2008 Ballot Positions PDF | HTML
• 2008 Constitutional Amendments
• 2008 Election Dates
  
• District Maps

Methods of Voting

Go to the Polls

Vote at your poll on Election Day
from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Your precinct is determined by where you live and the polling site is assigned by your election commission. Most local newspapers publish a list of polling sites within a few days of an election. If you received a Voter ID card from your county clerk, it may show your precinct.

Vote Early

• Depending on the type of election being conducted, you may early vote during the 7 or 15 days prior to Election Day. (See page 40 for specific dates.)
• In most counties, early voting is conducted at the county clerk’s office.
• In counties with off-site early voting (a location other than the county clerk’s office), local newspapers will publish the designated sites.
• During a preferential primary or a general election, early voting is available between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, ending at 5 p.m. on the Monday before the election. Off-site early voting hours may vary by county; watch your local newspaper or contact your county clerk for information.
• During all other elections, early voting is available during your county clerk’s regular office hours.
• If your name or address has changed, you may update your information at the early voting site.

Vote Absentee

You may vote absentee in the following conditions:

1. You will be unavoidably absent from your polling site on Election Day, or
2. You will be unable to attend your polling site due to illness or physical disability.

View more information on Absentee voting in Arkansas.

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Provisional Voting

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 identification requirements for mail-in registrants, you have the right to cast a Provisional Ballot after signing an affirmation that you are a registered voter in the county and are eligible to vote in that election.

If your vote is challenged by a poll watcher, you have the right to cast a Provisional Ballot that will be set aside by the election officials in a special envelope until the election commission determines whether the ballot may be counted.

If you cast a Provisional Ballot, you have the right to be informed in writing of whether or not your ballot was counted and, if not, the reason it was not counted

A poll watcher may not speak with you, may not challenge your ballot in bad faith, may not be within six feet of the voting area, may not disrupt the election and may not electioneer within 100 feet of the main entrance of the polling site.

Casting a Provisional Ballot when a ballot is challenged by a poll watcher:

1. If a poll watcher challenges a voter’s ballot, that ballot will be treated as a Provisional Ballot.
2. An election official will inform the voter, who will then sign a statement affirming voting eligibility.
3. The election official will write the voter’s name and address on the list of provisional voters.
4. The poll watcher will complete a Challenged Ballot form.
5. The election official will give the voter the proper ballot after removing the stub and placing it in the ballot stub box.
6. The voter will mark the ballot, then place it in the Provisional Ballot Envelope and seal it.
7. The voter then will place the sealed Provisional Ballot envelope and the challenged ballot form (unless it is printed on the outside of the Provisional Voter envelope) in the Provisional Voter envelope.
8. The election official will provide the voter with written instructions on how to determine whether the provisional vote was counted and, if not, the reason the vote was not counted. (In most cases, the election commission will mail a notice to the voter.)

Casting a Provisional Ballot when registration status cannot be confirmed:

1. If a voter’s name is not included on the precinct voter registration list and if the election official at the poll cannot verify the voter’s status as a registered voter in the county, that voter is entitled to cast a Provisional Ballot if he or she contends to be a registered voter in the precinct in which he or she desires to vote.
2. The election official will ask the voter for a current, valid photo ID or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter. If the voter fails to provide ID, the election official will note it on the precinct voter list.

3. The election official will write the voter’s name and address on the list of provisional voters.
4. The election official will provide a Voter Affirmation form on which the voter affirms that he or she is registered in the precinct and is eligible to vote in the election.
5. When the affirmation is completed, the election official will provide the proper ballot to the voter.
6. The voter may then mark the ballot.
7. The voter should place the marked ballot into the Provisional Ballot envelope and
   seal it.
8. The voter should then place the Voter Affirmation in the Provisional Voter envelope (unless the affirmation is printed on the envelope itself).
9. The election official shall provide the voter with written instructions on how to determine whether or not the provisional vote was counted, and, if not, the reason the vote was not counted. (In most cases, the election commission will mail a notice to the voter.)
   

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Fail-Safe Voting

• If you move to a new address within your current precinct, you have the right to vote in that precinct after filling out a change-of-address form.
• If you move to a new address in your county but outside the precinct where you’re registered, you have the right to vote at your new precinct and fill out a change-of-address form there.

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Where do I vote?

• Arkansas Voter View

When do I vote?

• Election Calendar

My Elected Officials

• District Maps
• Find Your Representative
• Elected Officials Directory
  
• Arkansas African-American Directory of Elected Officials - PDF
• Arkansas State Senators
  
• Arkansas State Representatives
  
• Arkansas Association of Counties
  
• Arkansas Municipal League

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What to Expect When Voting

• An election official will ask you to state your name and address and confirm your date of birth.
• The election official will ask you to provide identification.  The following documents are acceptable: a current and valid photo ID or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter.
• If you’re unable to provide ID, the election official will note it on the Precinct Voter Registration List, and you may vote a regular ballot.
• If you registered by mail after January 1, 2003, and did not submit the required ID with your voter registration application, you may be required to show ID to vote a regular ballot. If you don't present ID, the election official will instruct you on voting a Provisional Ballot. (See page 3 for ID requirements.)
• In a primary election, you must state the party primary in which you wish to vote. If you do not wish to cast a party ballot, you may choose to vote only in the non-partisan races (which may include judicial contests, tax increases and other local issues).
• In a primary election, you are allowed to vote only one party’s ballot or the non-partisan judicial ballot.  The election official records which party’s ballot you choose.
• Next, you will sign the Precinct Voter Registration List, and the election official will add your name to the list of voters.
• The election official will give you a ballot or direct you to a voting machine. (See the next page for the system you’ll use in your county.)
• You will go alone to a voting booth and mark your ballot. You are allotted 5 minutes
  to vote.

• If you vote a paper ballot, you will deposit it into the ballot box or an electronic scanner.
  

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Avoiding the "Overvote"

An overvote is a ballot marked with more than one choice for the same question, such as two candidates in the same race. Overvotes cannot be counted, so it’s important to make sure you don’t make that mistake.  If you vote on a paper ballot (absentee or optical scan ballots), check your choices very carefully to make sure they’re marked correctly. If you make a mistake, simply ask an election official for a new ballot before you drop yours in the ballot box. Electronic voting machines will automatically prevent overvotes, but it’s still important to double check your responses.

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Questions on Voting

Q: If the election officials know me, must they ask me to present identification?
A: Yes

Q: What if I need assistance to vote my ballot?
A: Simply inform an election official that you need assistance. You may ask two election officials to assist you in marking your ballot, or another person of your choice may assist you. If you are physically unable to stand in line, you may request to advance to the front of the line.

• If you are disabled, an election official may not bring a ballot to your car. Plan ahead to vote absentee if you are physically unable to enter your polling site. Under no circumstances may a ballot leave the polling site.

Q: What if I make a mistake on my ballot?
A: If you have not yet put your ballot into the ballot box, you may ask an election official for another ballot. You will be asked to sign a Spoiled Ballot Affidavit. Do not hesitate to ask to start over. You may "spoil" up to two ballots and receive another (three ballots total). Once you drop your ballot in the ballot box, no changes can be made.

Q: What if I'm at the polls and my current address differs from the one on the Precinct Voter List?
A: For you to vote a regular ballot,

• The election official must contact the county clerk, AND
  
• The county clerk must verify that your address is within that precinct.
  If your new address is within the current precinct:
  
• You must complete a voter registration form to update county voter registration records.
  If your new address is NOT within the current precinct:
  
• The election official must contact the county clerk to determine the proper voting precinct, then you must go to the new polling site to vote.

Q: What if my name is NOT on the Precinct Voter List at my polling site?
A: The poll worker will contact the county clerk to confirm your current registration status using your name, date of birth and current address.

• The election officials will verify that you are a qualified registered voter in that precinct.
  
• If you are registered but have moved outside the precinct, you may be re-directed to the correct polling site or you may vote a Provisional Ballot.
  
• If your name or address differs from the Precinct Voter List, you must complete a Voter
  Registration Application form to update your voter record.

Q: What if my name is NOT on the Precinct Voter Registration List AND the election official cannot confirm my registration with the county clerk?
A: You may vote a Provisional Ballot after signing a written affirmation that you are a registered voter in the precinct in which you wish to vote and that you are eligible to vote in that election;

• The election official will provide written instructions on how to determine whether your vote was counted, and if not, why the vote was not counted, and
  
• The election official will note on the List of Voters all persons voting in this manner.

Q: Who can challenge my ballot?
A: Registered poll watchers (candidates, candidate representatives or representatives of parties or issues) are allowed inside the polls as observers. They may challenge the ballots of voters, usually based on identity, address or date of birth of the voter. In other words, a poll watcher may question whether a voter is who he says he is, lives at the stated address or is old enough to vote. The poll watcher may not speak directly to you or come within 6 feet of voting booths.

Q: What happens if a poll watcher challenges my ballot?
A: An election official must inform you that your ballot is being challenged by a poll watcher.

• The poll watcher must complete a Challenged Ballot Form.
  
• You must complete an "eligibility affirmation," which is simply a written statement that you are an eligible voter.
  
• You must vote on a paper ballot initialed by the election official.
  
• You must place the Provisional Ballot in a single envelope marked “Provisional Ballot” and seal it.
  
• The election official must maintain a separate list of names of provisional voters.
  
• All Provisional Ballots must be preserved, secured and separated from the remaining ballots so that the county board of election commissioners can verify registration and determine whether the votes may be counted.
• Before the results of the election are certified, the county board of election commissioners must determine whether the Provisional Ballots are valid. If the commissioners suspect that election laws have been violated, they may refer the matter to the prosecuting attorney.

Q: Are candidates allowed to solicit my vote outside my polling site?
A: Yes, "electioneering" is allowed outside the polls. However, it may not occur within 100 feet of the primary entrances of the buildings that contain polls.

• If a campaign worker or candidate approaches you within 100 feet of a poll, report the violation to the election officials at that poll immediately or contact your county board of election commissioners.

Q: If I have a problem or question about voting, whom do I call?
A: If you have a problem or question involving your registration information or registration status, contact your county clerk, who can help in cases such as:

• The time is nearing 30 days prior to an election, and you haven't received a voter ID card.
  
• Your name does not appear on the Precinct Voter Registration List at your poll, and the election officials cannot verify your registration with the county clerk.
  
• You have moved or changed your name, and you need to update your voter information.

If you have a problem or question involving a poll worker, a poll watcher, or any Election Day procedure at a poll, contact your county board of election commissioners.

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FAQs on Absentee Voting

Q: What is the first step to voting absentee?
A: Obtain an Application for Absentee Ballot from your county clerk who may mail or fax you an application.  You may also request an application in person at your county clerk’s office.

Q: On the application, what do the terms “designated bearer,”  “agent” and “authorized agent” mean?
A: A “designated bearer” is anyone chosen by you to pick up or deliver your ballot.

An “agent” or “authorized agent” serves voters who are hospitalized or residing in a long-term care facility. 

An administrator of a licensed facility may assist clients in the absentee voting process. To do so, the administrator must file an affidavit with the local county clerk stating that he or she is authorized by the voter to deliver the voter's ballot.

Q: Is there a deadline for submitting an Application for Absentee Ballot to your county clerk?
A: Yes - the deadline depends on your method for submitting the application back to the county clerk:

a) In person by you
     By close of business the day BEFORE the election

b) By designated bearer
     By close of business the day BEFORE the election

c) By mail of fax
     By 7 days before the election

d) By authorized agent
     By 1:30 p.m. ON Election Day

Note: The law does not prohibit county clerks from mailing absentee ballot applications during the seven days prior to an election. However, if you receive the application during that window, you or your chosen bearer must deliver it personally to the county clerk.

Q: How will I receive my ballot?
A: On the Application for Absentee Ballot, you declare how you wish to receive it: by picking it up in person, by receiving it by mail, or by allowing a bearer to pick it up (an administrator, authorized agent or designated bearer).

Q: Are there deadlines for ballot pickup?
A:The law only specifies a time window for designated bearers. They may pick up your ballot no earlier than 15 days before a preferential or general election and no earlier than 7 days before a runoff.  You should pick up your ballot based on the ability to deliver it back to the county clerk on time.

Q: What are the deadlines for delivering ballots to the county clerk?
A: Again, the deadline depends on your "method" of delivery:

a) In person by you
     By close of business the day BEFORE the election

b) By mail*
     Received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day
     *Overseas absentee ballots will be accepted up to 10 days after the election.

c) By designated bearer
     By 7:30 p.m. ON Election Day

d) By authorized agent
     By 7:30 p.m. ON Election Day

You may NOT fax a ballot.

Q: Am I required to request a separate Application for Absentee Ballot for every election?
A:  If you reside within your county of registration, one Application for Absentee Ballot serves one election and its corresponding runoff.  You must submit a new application for each election cycle.

If you reside outside your county of registration such as students or military voters), are disabled or reside in a long-term care facility, you will automatically receive a ballot for each election for the next year.

If you are a citizen temporarily residing outside the territorial limits of the United States, you may receive absentee ballots through the next two regularly scheduled general elections for federal office, including any runoff elections that may occur as a result of the outcome of the general election.           

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Other Common Voting Questions

In addition to routine voting questions, the Secretary of State often fields inquiries from voters and election workers on special election situations. The following responses address scenarios that sometimes arise during Arkansas elections.

Q: My neighbor moved across town to another precinct but still votes at the same poll I do. Is that okay?
A: Current law does not allow a voter to cast a ballot anywhere other than the poll assigned to the voter’s current residence by the county election commission (or a designated early voting site). It is possible that your neighbor’s new precinct actually votes at the same polling site or that your neighbor is living temporarily in a new location and would not be required to change registration.

Q: Are poll workers permitted to take a ballot to a disabled voter waiting in a car outside the polling site? It seems like a kind thing to do, but is it legal?
A: No. Ballots cannot be removed from the polling place during an election (ACA 7-5-103). Any person who registered to vote but is unable to go to the polls may obtain an absentee ballot. If a voter can get to the polls but cannot stand in line, the law allows that person to request to be moved to the front of the line. (ACA 7-5-310)            

Q: I am an elderly woman who lives alone without transportation.  A volunteer with a local campaign offered to take people in my neighborhood to the polls to vote. Is that allowed?
A: Yes. However, they are not allowed to offer you any money, goods, wares or merchandise for the purpose of influencing your vote. (ACA 7-1-104)

Q: A candidate that I admire is conducting a write-in campaign. She is printing adhesive labels for us to put on our ballots to vote for her. Will my vote count if I use her adhesive label?
A: No. All write-in votes must be written in the handwriting of the person casting the vote
(ACA 7-5-315), or entered on the ballot on the touchscreen machine (ACA 7-5-525).

Q: When I went into the voting booth, I found a pencil with a candidate’s name printed on it urging voters to vote for him. Is that allowed?
A: No. Sometimes a previous voter leaves such campaign material in the voting booth inadvertently. But it is illegal for campaign materials to be in the polling place. No “electioneering” is allowed within 100 feet of the primary exterior entrance used by voters to the building containing the polling place on Election Day. (ACA 7-1-103)

Q: After I voted, I handed my ballot to the election official, but I never saw her put it in the ballot box.  Are there procedures for election officials to follow so that my ballot is secret and my vote is counted?
A: The voter should personally insert his or her ballot into the ballot box (ACA 7-5-309). If you suspect that your ballot was mishandled, you should contact your county board of election commissioners, county clerk or prosecuting attorney as soon as possible.

Q: Can someone trace my ballot and see how I voted?
A: It is a matter of public record that you voted and that you voted in a particular party’s primary.  However, your ballot and your preferences on it cannot be traced back to you.

Q: My daughter attends college in another state, but is registered to vote here at home. Can she vote here without having to drive all that way?
A: A registered college student must do one thing to begin the process: phone the appropriate county clerk and request an Application for Absentee Ballot.  The remainder of the process is driven by the county clerk and is very simple.

Q: My neighbor is blind, but she would like to vote in the next election. She is a friend of one of the candidates on the ballot and he has offered to go into the voting booth with her to help her cast her ballot. Can he do that?
A: Your neighbor or any other disabled person wishing to vote may select anyone, including a candidate, to assist in marking the ballot according to the voter’s wishes. The person selected must not attempt to influence the vote.

A disabled voter may instead choose to be assisted by two election officials (ACA 7-5-310 and 311). Additionally, at each polling site, voting equipment is now available that allows disabled voters to vote independently.

Q: There are several people living at the local homeless shelter who have registered to vote. This can’t be their permanent residence, so how are they allowed to register with only a temporary address?
A: Arkansas law supports the right of homeless people and allows them to register to vote.

Q: My grandmother has become senile and was recently declared mentally incompetent by a judge. The administrator at the nursing home where she lives requested an absentee ballot for her to vote in the next election. Is that allowed?
A: Unless the court’s competency order specifically states that your grandmother is prohibited from voting, she is still allowed to vote (ACA 28-65-302). Your grandmother must sign the absentee ballot application.

Q: My neighbor’s son is in state prison on a felony conviction. He has applied for an absentee ballot from prison. Can he do that?
A: No. A person who is in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony cannot register or vote. The Secretary of State and county clerks regularly receive criminal conviction records from the Department of Corrections. These are checked against the voter registration data so that the registrations of these voters can be promptly canceled.  A convicted felon may regain the right to vote after obtaining a pardon from the governor or after discharging a sentence. Documentation must be provided to the county clerk. (Ark. Const. Amend. 51 as amended by Act 560 of 2001).

Q: Does one vote really make much difference?
A: It’s not uncommon for elections to be decided by very narrow margins, especially in local issues. In 1998, three municipal elections in Arkansas were won by a single vote. More recently, a 2005 local initiative in Hot Springs passed by only 89 of the 9,401 votes cast. Just a handful of voters — sometimes even just one vote — can make a huge impact.

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