Know Your Rights: Voting in Arkansas

Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and the fundamental right upon which all our civil liberties rest. The ACLU works to protect and expand every American’s freedom to vote.

Established in 1965, the ACLU Voting Rights Project works to protect the gains in political participation won by racial and language minorities since passage of the historic Voting Rights Act (VRA) that same year. The Project has filed more than 300 lawsuits to enforce the provisions of the Voting Right Act and the U.S. Constitution.

The ACLU of Arkansas is ready to help protect every Arkansan’s right to vote. We work closely with partners across the state to help keep elections safe, secure, and accessible.

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Everyone who can should vote early and in person and report any concerns.

If you experience or see an issue at the polls, call the nationwide nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline at:

• 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)
• Spanish/Español: 1-479-763-2822

OR contact us directly at www.acluarkansas.org/get-help.

Defending Democracy After Callais: Arkansas Cannot Afford to Look Away

The deadline to register to vote is 30 days prior to the election you wish to vote in. Check https://www.voterview.ar-nova.org/VoterView to see if you are registered.

More information on how to register to vote can be found on the Arkansas Secretary of State's website.

1. Early in-person voting: Find your polling place here.
2. Election Day in-person voting: Find your polling place here.
3. Absentee ballot voting: Request your ballot.

NOTE: Here's the latest on an ACLU effort to push back against the Trump administration's effort to restrict voting by mail.

• Check your voter registration status, or locate your polling place in advance: https://www.voterview.ar-nova.org.
• Request your absentee ballot: https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/elections/voter-information/absentee-voting.
• Save these Election Protection Hotline numbers:
  • English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
  • Spanish/Español: 479-763-2822.
• Have a photo ID. If you have a federal or Arkansas-issued ID, bring it to the polls, or send a copy with your mailed absentee ballot. If you don’t, you can still vote! Just get a free ID from your county clerk, or cast a provisional ballot.
• If your ballot doesn’t seem right, tell the poll worker before you cast it/before you write on it and submit it to them.

YES. Arkansas poll workers will be required to request that voters present a photo ID card. This ID must show the voter’s name and photo, and must be issued by either the state of Arkansas or the federal government. A free voter verification card is available through the Secretary of State’s office or your county clerk for any voter who does not have another ID valid for voting.

If you cannot show ID, you can still cast a provisional ballot, which must be certified. To certify a provisional ballot, you must return with your ID to your county’s board of election commissioners or your county clerk by noon the Monday after the election. Your certified provisional ballot should be counted unless there is some other reason not to count it.

You must follow the same process if you do not include a copy of your ID with your absentee ballot.

The ID card must not be expired for more than four (4) years on election day. IDs that meet the requirements include a driver’s license, a photo identification card, a concealed carry handgun permit, a U.S. Passport, a student ID or employee badge from an accredited postsecondary institution, a military ID, a voter verification card, or a public assistance ID that shows a photo of the cardholder.

Voter intimidation or harassment is a crime under federal and state law.

Unlawful intimidation or harassment can take many forms – outside or inside the polling place – and may include:

• aggressively questioning voters about their qualifications to vote, including questioning voters about their citizenship and criminal records;
• falsely representing oneself as an elections official;
• displaying false or misleading information about voting requirements or voter fraud;
• unauthorized persons being in the polling place and interacting with voters; and
• harassment, particularly when non-English speakers or voters of color are the target of that harassment.

If you encounter intimidation or harassment at your polling place, it is almost always best not to engage with that person or persons but just note anything you safely can about the persons responsible. Then, report it to elections officials. You can ask for the poll captain or judge at your polling place and report it to them. You can also report to your county board of election commissioners and to the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners. You should also report it to the non-partisan hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

All voters in Arkansas may vote by mail using an absentee ballot if the voter will be unavoidably absent from the polls on Election Day. To receive an absentee ballot, request one from your county clerk in the county where you are registered to vote. You may also download an absentee ballot application on the Arkansas Secretary of State's website.

Absentee voters will receive an oversized envelope prior to the election with four items in it:

1. A ballot.
2. Ballot Envelope #1.
3. Return Envelope #2.
4. Voter Statement on one side and instructions on the back.

Step 1: Mark the ballot. Place your completed ballot in the Ballot envelope #1. Seal Ballot envelope #1, and place it in the Return envelope #2.

Step 2: Complete the Voter Statement. Be sure to fill in all the boxes. Be sure to sign Box 6 if you are sending a copy of your photo ID — but sign boxes 5 and 6 if you CANNOT send in a copy of your photo ID. Put the completed Voter Statement in Return Envelope #2.

Step 3: Make a clear copy of your photo ID if you have one. Put the copy of the ID in Return Envelope #2. If you do not have a copy of a photo ID to send, write and sign your name in box 5.

Be sure you have included all of the following items inside of Return Envelope #2:

1. Your completed ballot in the Ballot Envelope #1
2. Your completed Voter Statement
3. Copy of ID (if you have one.)

There are three ways to RETURN your completed ballot:

1. Return by mail with 3 first class stamps on the envelope by the Friday before Election Day.
2. Return in person to your county clerk by the Friday before Election Day.
3. Return in person through a designated bearer by the Friday before Election Day. Only do this if you indicated that you would do this on your absentee ballot application.

Confirm with the poll worker that you’re at the right polling place. They will ask for your address and date of birth to verify with the county clerk that you’re a registered voter in that precinct.

If you’re at the right polling place, but the worker cannot confirm your information, ask for and cast a provisional ballot. More information on provisional voting is available at here.

You must complete a voter registration form to update your county voter registration records, but you should be allowed to vote.

In Arkansas, when you change the name on your ID, you can ask that they also update your voter registration information at the same time

Assert your right! If you cannot persuade the poll workers to accept your vote and you are voting early, you can leave and seek assistance or cast a provisional ballot. If it is Election Day, you can seek help and/or cast a provisional ballot. Election officials will rule on your ballot and determine whether to count your vote.

You can check your registration status by contacting your county clerk (http://www.arcounties.org/counties) or at https://www.voterview.ar-nova.org.

There may be an election protection monitor at your polling place whom you can ask for assistance. If no one is around:

• English: 1-866-OUR VOTE
• Spanish: 1-888-839-8682
• Asian languages: 1-888-274-8683
• Arabic: 1-844-418-1682
• ASL (video call): 1-301-818-8683
• Request a provisional ballot.

You must complete the affidavit on the ballot envelope, vote your ballot, place it in the ballot envelope and seal before returning it to the election official. The election official will give you written instructions on how to determine whether your vote was counted.

• If you were convicted of a misdemeanor, you can vote.
• If you are in jail, you will have to vote by absentee ballot.
• You do retain the right to vote if convicted of a misdemeanor.
• If you were convicted of a felony in Arkansas, you can vote if you’re not currently incarcerated or on probation or parole and you have paid all fines.
• Your right to vote can be restored after completion of your sentence, parole, and/or probation and the payment of all probation or parole fees, court costs, fines, or restitution.

Know Your Rights: Voting After a Criminal Conviction

To restore your right to vote, you must take proof of completion of your sentence, including proof that you have paid all fees, fines & costs required of you to your local county clerk. Once your local county clerk has received this proof, you are eligible to register to vote.

If you do not have proof of your discharge, and you were released without parole, you should contact: ADC at: Central Records 1-501-320-1725 or 6814 Princeton Pike, Pine Bluff, AR 71602.

If you were released through probation or parole, you should contact the records units for the individual probation or parole office for proof of supervision release and all payments.

Proof of restitution payments can be obtained by the entity collecting restitution payments, if any. The circuit clerk can provide you proof of discharge of any fines and costs.

It is best to collect these records at the time your sentence is completed or as soon as possible thereafter and retain copies of these records as they may be increasingly difficult to obtain as time goes by.

Know Your Rights: Voting After a Criminal Conviction

Election Protection Hotline:

• English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
• Spanish/Español: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (479-763-2822)

Visit the Secretary of State’s website here.

Disclaimer: This information is designed for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice and is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship. The Election Protection Coalition (Coalition) does not warrant any information contained in this guide, nor does the Coalition suggest that the information in this guide should be used as a basis to pursue legal advice or decision-making. This information is not exhaustive. Situations or inquiries may arise that are not answered on this webpage. In those circumstances, see the Secretary of State’s website or call the Election Protection Hotline for assistance.