2026 election

Voting in Arkansas

Primary

Held

Tuesday, March 3

Early voting

February 16th – March 2nd

General

Tuesday, November 3

Early voting

October 19 – November 2

Register by: October 5
Request a mail ballot by: October 27
Mailed ballot must arrive by: November 3, 7:30pm
Or drop it off by: October 30 close of business

See every race and candidate on your Arkansas ballot, and where each one stands, before you vote.

Plan your ballot →

How to cast your ballot

By mail

You need one of these reasons:

I will be unavoidably absent from my polling site on Election Day. (Voters may choose this excuse to vote absentee because of the COVID-19 pandemic)
I will be unable to attend the polls on Election Day because of illness or physical disability. (Voters may choose this excuse to vote absentee because of the COVID-19 pandemic)
I reside in a long-term care or residential facility licensed by the state.

Request a ballot Track your ballot The rules Where to drop it off

In person

Polls open on election day: 7:30am – 7:30pm
Or vote early: In the windows shown above

What counts as ID

You will need to show photo ID to vote in Arkansas. If the ID has an expiration date, it cannot be expired for more than four years before Election Day.

Acceptable forms of ID include:

Arkansas driver’s license
Arkansas photo identification card
concealed handgun carry license
United States passport
employee badge or identification document issued by an accredited postsecondary education institution in the State of Arkansas
United States military identification document
public assistance identification card if the card shows a photograph of the person to whom the document or identification card was issued
voter verification card

If you're voting for the first time in Arkansas, registered to vote by mail, and didn't submit a copy of your ID when you registered, you will need to show additional ID to vote. Acceptable forms include:

current and valid photo ID
current utility bill
bank statement
government check
paycheck
other government document with your name and address

Voters without ID: If you are unable to provide ID, you will be able to vote a provisional ballot. In order for your provisional ballot to be counted, you must return to your county board of election commissioners or county clerk by 12:00 noon on the Monday following the election and present a document or identification card meeting the requirements described above.

Find your polling place Early voting

Before you can vote

Registering

Ways to register:

By mail

Who can register, and what you need

To register in Arkansas you must:

be a United States citizen
live in Arkansas at the address on your voter registration application
turn 18 on or before the next election
not be a convicted felon (or have completely discharged your sentence or been pardoned)
not claim the right to vote in any other jurisdiction
not presently be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction

Check if you are registered Register

Which primary can you vote in?

You are NOT required to register with a party to participate in Arkansas partisan primary elections. However, you must state the party primary you intend to vote in. If you don’t want to cast a party ballot, you may choose to vote in the nonpartisan races only.

Also voted on March 3: North Carolina, Texas.

Dates, deadlines and rules come from DemocracyWorks, last refreshed August 27, 2026; poll hours from our own election guide. Rules change — check with your election office before you rely on a date.