Arkansas elections, 2023
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Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Our goal is to inform people about politics by providing accurate and objective information about politics at all levels of government. We are firmly committed to neutrality in our content.
This page provides information on the 2023 elections in Arkansas, including the offices on the ballot covered by Ballotpedia, election dates, and frequently asked questions.
Election dates
Statewide election dates in Arkansas are listed below. For more dates, please see the elections calendar.
Statewide election dates
There were no statewide elections in Arkansas this year. See the Ballotpedia calendar page for more election dates.
Offices on the ballot
| Arkansas elections, 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office | Elections? | More information |
| U.S. Senate | — | — |
| U.S. House | — | — |
| Congress special election | — | — |
| Governor | — | — |
| Other state executive | — | — |
| State Senate | — | — |
| State House | — | — |
| Special state legislative | — | — |
| State Supreme Court | — | — |
| Intermediate appellate courts | — | — |
| School boards | ✓ | Click here |
| Municipal government | — | — |
| Recalls | — | — |
| Ballot measures | — | — |
| Local ballot measures | — | — |
Legend: ✓ election(s) / — no elections
Subject to Ballotpedia's scope
Noteworthy elections
So far, Ballotpedia has not highlighted any elections in this state. Have a suggestion of one we should cover in more detail? Click here and let us know.
Frequently asked questions
When are the polls open?
7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.[1]
See State Poll Opening and Closing Times (2023) for more information
Where can I find election results?
Election results are posted on Ballotpedia's election overview pages, as well as the relevant candidate pages. You can find links to the current election overview pages in the "Offices on the ballot" section of this page.
How do primaries work in Arkansas?
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Arkansas utilizes an open primary system. Registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[2][3]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
How do I register to vote?
- 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.[4]
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:[4]
- 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
Is there an early voting period?
- See also: Early voting
Arkansas permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.[5]
Who is eligible for absentee voting?
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
The table below displays absentee voting information specific to Arkansas' 2024 election cycle.
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:[6]
- 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.[7][8]
What are the voter ID laws in Arkansas?
See Voter identification laws by state.
How do I file to run for office?
See Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Arkansas for information on how to run for state or federal office.
What does Ballotpedia cover?
Ballotpedia's coverage extends to all elections on the federal level, all gubernatorial, state legislative, statewide ballot measure, and statewide judicial elections, as well as many other types of state executive offices. Ballotpedia also covers all elections in the U.S. territories, but not elections in other countries.
Local election coverage includes comprehensive ballot coverage for municipal and judicial elections in the top 100 cities by population and races for the large counties that overlap them. In the state capitals outside of the 100 largest cities, it includes coverage of mayoral, city council, and district attorney elections. It also includes school board elections in the top 200 largest school districts by enrollment, all California local ballot measures, and notable local ballot measures from across the nation.
Please note that Ballotpedia's election coverage does not encompass all local offices. Election information is not published in a timely manner for many local offices, which makes it infeasible to gather the necessary data given our limited resources. However, Ballotpedia's coverage scope for local elections continues to grow, and you can use Ballotpedia's sample ballot tool to see what local elections we are covering in your area.
How do I contact Ballotpedia with a question?
Email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Local election officials
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. |
Redistricting following the 2020 census
This section lists major events in the post-2020 census redistricting cycle in reverse chronological order. Major events include the release of apportionment data, the release of census population data, the introduction of formal map proposals, the enactment of new maps, and noteworthy court challenges. Click the dates below for additional information.
- Jan. 14, 2022: The congressional map approved by the Arkansas General Assembly went into effect.
- Dec. 29, 2021: The Arkansas Board of Apportionment's new state legislative maps went into effect. The same day, a lawsuit was filed against the enacted state House map.
- Nov. 29, 2021: The Arkansas Board of Apportionment voted 3-0 in favor of new state legislative maps.
- Nov. 4, 2021: Attorney General Leslie Rutledge (R) issued a legal opinion clarifying that the congressional map plans passed by the legislature would become law without Hutchinson's signature on Jan. 14, 2022.
- Oct. 29, 2021: The Arkansas Board of Apportionment accepted proposed maps for the state Senate and House.
- Oct. 13, 2021: Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) announced that he would neither sign nor veto the two proposed maps approved by the state legislature, meaning they would go into effect without his signature in 90 days.
- Oct. 7, 2021: The Arkansas General Assembly approved two proposed maps and sent them to Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R).
- Sept. 29, 2021: The Arkansas General Assembly reconvened at the start of a state legislative special session to consider congressional map proposals.
- Sept. 27, 2021: The joint House and Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committees met to consider the last of the 15 congressional map plans proposed by state legislators.
- September 16, 2021: The U.S. Census Bureau released data from the 2020 census in an easier-to-use format to state redistricting authorities and the public.
- Aug. 12, 2021: The U.S. Census Bureau delivered redistricting data in a legacy format.
- April 26, 2021: The U.S. Census Bureau delivered apportionment counts.
Footnotes
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Voting in Arkansas", accessed December 2, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures Website, "State Primary Election Types," accessed April 3, 2023
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Arkansas Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Information," accessed April 5, 2023
- ↑ On February 23, 2024, Delaware Superior Court judge Mark Conner ruled that early voting was unconstitutional in the state, saying that the laws were "inconsistent with our constitution and therefore cannot stand." On February 29, lawmakers introduced legislation, SB3, to restore in-person early voting. On February 27, Attorney General Kathy Jennings (D) announced that she would appeal the decision to the Delaware Supreme Court and said, "We will file our appeal quickly and intend to request a decision from the Delaware Supreme Court so that voters have final clarity in time for the September primaries."
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Voting in Arkansas," accessed April 3, 2023
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Military and Overseas Citizens," accessed April 3, 2023
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting," accessed April 3, 2023
