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Arkansas | Voting Guide
Voting Guide
Arkansas
Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
Voter registration deadline: 30 days before Election Day
2024
Preferential Primary and Nonpartisan General Election Voter Registration Deadline: February 5
Preferential Primary and Nonpartisan General Election: March 5
General Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline: March 4
General Primary Election: April 2
General Election and Nonpartisan Runoff Voter Registration Deadline: October 7
General Election: November 5
Official Election Websites
Register at School or Home
Students have a decision about where to register to vote.
You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family's home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.
You may only be registered and vote in one location.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
Arkansas’ voter registration form asks for your Arkansas driver’s license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. Be sure to provide one of these numbers if you have it.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
To vote, you will need to present an ID that bears your name and photograph; was issued by the U.S. government, State of Arkansas, or an accredited postsecondary educational institution in Arkansas; and, if it has an expiration date, has not been expired for more than 4 years before the date of the election in which you seek to vote.
Where Do I Vote?
Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at: voterview.ar-nova.org/
How Can I Vote?
By Mail
Arkansas requires an excuse to vote by mail. Voters may vote by mail when they:
Will be “unavoidably absent” from their polling site on Election Day;
Will be unable to go to the polls due to illness or physical disability;
Are prevented from voting due to observance of a religions discipline or religious holiday during the entire 12 hours that the polls are open on election day
Are members of, or spouses or dependents of members of, the Uniformed Services, merchant marines and will be away from their polling site due to active-duty status; or
Are temporarily residing outside the United States
Voters may request an absentee ballot in person until the Friday before Election Day. Applications submitted by mail or electronically must be received by the 7th day before Election Day.
An absentee ballot request form is available at
sos.arkansas.gov/uploads/elections/Absentee_Ballot_Application.pdf
Completed absentee ballots must be received by the county clerk’s office by close of business the Friday before Election Day if delivered in person by the voter or the voter's designee, or by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day if delivered by mail.
Early In-person
Early voting is available to any registered voter 7 to 15 days before Election Day, depending on the type of election.
For primary and general elections, 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
Early voting requires the same documents or identification cards used on Election Day.
Contact your county's election office for early voting locations.
Election Day
Voting sites will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line by closing time, you have a right to cast a ballot.
Common Questions/Concerns
Registering to Vote Does Not Affect Your:
Federal Financial Aid
Where you register to vote won’t affect federal financial aid like Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA
Status as a Dependent on Your Parents’ Taxes
Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes
Tuition Status
Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community
Will registering to vote in Arkansas affect my driver’s license or car registration?
Registering to vote in Arkansas does not necessarily affect your driver's license or car registration. However, as a new resident of Arkansas, you may be required to make changes to your driver's license or car registration regardless of whether you register to vote there. You may wish to contact the Arkansas Department of Motor Vehicles.
Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed Arkansas legal professional.
Last updated June 2023