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Arkansas Voter Information

Arkansas palm card

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Download, print and share the Voter Education Card for Arkansas.

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Email us at vote@naacpldf.org

Voter checklist

Important dates

Local elections

Local elections are held every year and may include school board elections, sheriff elections, and county elections, among others.

Find your local elections

Federal general election

Federal elections held for U.S. President, U.S. House of Representatives, and U.S. Senate.

  1. 7:30 pm—Deadline to register to vote Voter Registration (postmarked)
  2. Early voting begins
  3. Deadline to request an absentee ballot
  4. Early voting ends
  5. Deadline to return completed absentee ballot (in-person)
  6. General Election

Know your rights

Under Federal law, you have a right to:

  • Vote free from intimidation.
  • Cast a vote by provisional ballot if there is uncertainty regarding your registration status or eligibility.
  • Receive assistance when voting if you are unable to vote unaided due to blindness, disability, illiteracy, or inability to read English; and you have a right to choose who assists you, so long as they are not your employer or union representative.

Under Arkansas law, you have a right to:

  • Vote if you are in line when polls close.
  • An accessible polling place, an accessible voting machine and appropriate accommodations.
  • Ask for help from poll workers or bring one person of your choice to assist you. 
  • Cast a provisional ballot that should still count unless there is some non-voter ID reason not to count the ballot.
  • Have your voting rights restored as a convicted felon. The felon must provide proof to the county clerk that he or she (1) has been discharged from probation or parole, (2) has paid all probation or parole fees, (3) satisfied all terms of imprisonment, and (4) paid all applicable court costs, fines, or restitution (Ark. Code Ann. Amend. 51 §11(d)(2)(A-D)).

ID requirements

When voting in-person on Election Day, you will be asked to present one of the following forms of ID:

  • AR Driver’s License
  • AR Voter ID Card
  • AR Voter Verification Card
  • Public Assistance ID w/photo
  • Student ID or employee badge from an accredited postsecondary institution
  • Photo Identification Card
  • Concealed Carry Handgun Permit
  • Federal Military ID
  • US Passport

Forgot your ID?

You can cast a provisional ballot if you forgot your ID. However, for your vote to count, you must provide one of the accepted photo IDs to the county election office in person prior to the certification of the election.

Don’t have an ID?

Voters unable to verify registration when voting in person shall be permitted to cast a provisional ballot. Provisional ballots cast in this manner will be counted if:

(a) The voter completes a sworn statement at the polling site stating that the voter is registered to vote in this state and that he or she is the person registered to vote, and the county board of election commissioners does not determine that the provisional ballot is invalid and should not be counted based on other grounds, or

(b) The voter returns to the county board of election commissioners or the county clerk by 12:00 noon on the Monday following the election and presents a document or identification card meeting the requirements described above, and the county board of election commissioners does not determine that the provisional ballot is invalid and should not be counted based on other grounds.

Report issues

Have you experienced or observed voter suppression efforts (e.g. polling place changes, voter purges, intimidation, or local practices that result in long waits to vote on Election Day)?

Report an issue

About Voting Rights Defender

LDF’s Voting Rights Defender (“VRD”) project broadens monitoring and tracking of voter suppression efforts in targeted jurisdictions months in advance of Election Day to identify as early as possible those suppression measures that warrant a responsive action.

Learn more about the Voting Rights Defender project

Our local partners

VRD will connect local partners with a resource team to combat suppressive measures using public exposure/media coverage, advocacy efforts with local actors/decisionmakers (e.g. calls, letters, petitions), and, if necessary, litigation.

Disclaimer: The information here is a resource and not legal advice. It is provided for informational purposes only and not as a substitute for or supplement to the legal advice necessary to address the specific concerns of any individual. Moreover, Arkansas may revise its laws after the publication of this site. Therefore, it is your responsibility to determine how all applicable laws concerning voter registration, voting, and the restoration of voting rights in Arkansas affect you.