Voter Registration Information

How Do I Register to Vote?

You must fill out a paper Voter Registration Application.

Where May I Obtain a Voter Registration Application?

How Do I Know I’m Registered?

Once your local county clerk has processed your Voter Registration Application, he/she will send you a personalized voter registration card. This could take up to several weeks.

Never assume you are registered to vote until you have received your voter registration card from the county clerk.

Feel free to call your county clerk and inquire about the status of your application.

You may also check your voter registration status online by visiting www.voterview.org

What if I Own Property in Another 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.

Registration Requirements

To register to vote in the State of Arkansas, you must:

Be a U.S. citizen.

Be an Arkansas resident.

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.

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 #9 on the application to indicate that you do not possess either a driver’s license or Social Security number.

Pursuant to Act 633 of 2017: Verification of Voter Registration Requirements

According to Arkansas law, voters are now required to verify his or her voter registration.

If the voter is unable to verify their registration, they have the opportunity to vote a provisional ballot. Under this circumstance, the voter has until 12:00 noon on the first Monday following the election to provide proper identification.

Each voter shall verify his or her registration when voting by presenting a document or identification card that:

(a) Shows the name of the person to whom the document or identification card was issued;

(b) Shows a photograph of the person to whom the document or identification card was issued;

(c) Is issued by the United States, the State of Arkansas, or an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the State of Arkansas; and

(d) If displaying an expiration date, is not expired or expired no more than four (4) years before the date of the election in which the voter seeks to vote.

Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 51, § 13(b)(1)(A)

Documents and identification cards that will be accepted as verification of voter registration include without limitation: A driver’s license; A photo identification card; A concealed handgun carry license; A United States passport; An employee badge or identification document issued by an accredited postsecondary education institution in the State of Arkansas; A United States military identification document; A public assistance identification card if the card shows a photograph of the person to whom the document or identification card was issued; A voter verification card as provided under Ark. Code § 7-5-324.

Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 51, § 13(b)(1)(B)

A person who is a resident of a long-term care or residential care facility licensed by the state of Arkansas is not required to verify his or her registration by presenting a document or identification card as described above when voting in person, but must provide documentation from the administrator of the facility attesting that the person is a resident of the facility.

Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 51, § 13(b)(2)(B)

Provisional Voting for Voters Unable to Verify Registration

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.

Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 51, § 13(b)(1)(B)

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.

If you have moved from one county to another within Arkansas, you must update this information with the county clerk no later than 4 days prior to Election Day via a Voter Registration Application.

Information for Military Voters

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 vote@fvap.ncr.gov or visit the website at www.fvap.gov.

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