Arkansas voting issues

Election and registration information

 * Where, When & How to Vote

Provisional voting
If you registered to vote but your name does not appear on the precinct voter registration list, or if you are unable to comply with identification requirements for mail-in registrants, you have the right to cast a Provisional Ballot after signing an affirmation that you are a registered voter in the county and are eligible to vote in that election.

If your vote is challenged by a poll watcher, you have the right to cast a Provisional Ballot that will be set aside by the election officials in a special envelope until the election commission determines whether the ballot may be counted.

If you cast a Provisional Ballot, you have the right to be informed in writing of whether or not your ballot was counted and, if not, the reason it was not counted

Casting a Provisional Ballot when a ballot is challenged by a poll watcher: If a poll watcher challenges a voter’s ballot, that ballot will be treated as a Provisional Ballot.


 * A poll watcher may not speak with you, may not challenge your ballot in bad faith, may not be within six feet of the voting area, may not disrupt the election and may not electioneer within 100 feet of the main entrance of the polling site.
 * An election official will inform the voter, who will then sign a statement affirming voting eligibility.
 * The election official will write the voter’s name and address on the list of provisional voters.
 * The poll watcher will complete a Challenged Ballot form.
 * The election official will give the voter the proper ballot after removing the stub and placing it in the ballot stub box.
 * The voter will mark the ballot, then place it in the Provisional Ballot Envelope and seal it.
 * The voter then will place the sealed Provisional Ballot envelope and the challenged ballot form (unless it is printed on the outside of the Provisional Voter envelope) in the Provisional Voter envelope.
 * The election official will provide the voter with written instructions on how to determine whether the provisional vote was counted and, if not, the reason the vote was not counted. (In most cases, the election commission will mail a notice to the voter.)

Casting a Provisional Ballot when registration status cannot be confirmed:


 * If a voter’s name is not included on the precinct voter registration list and if the election official at the poll cannot verify the voter’s status as a registered voter in the county, that voter is entitled to cast a Provisional Ballot if he or she contends to be a registered voter in the precinct in which he or she desires to vote.
 * The election official will ask the voter for a current, valid photo ID or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter. If the voter fails to provide ID, the election official will note it on the precinct voter list.
 * The election official will write the voter’s name and address on the list of provisional voters.
 * The election official will provide a Voter Affirmation form on which the voter affirms that he or she is registered in the precinct and is eligible to vote in the election.
 * When the affirmation is completed, the election official will provide the proper ballot to the voter.
 * The voter may then mark the ballot.
 * The voter should place the marked ballot into the Provisional Ballot envelope and seal it.
 * The voter should then place the Voter Affirmation in the Provisional Voter envelope (unless the affirmation is printed on the envelope itself).
 * The election official shall provide the voter with written instructions on how to determine whether or not the provisional vote was counted, and, if not, the reason the vote was not counted. (In most cases, the election commission will mail a notice to the voter.)

2008 election
For the 2008 election Arkansas used the following voting machines in addition to hand-counted paper ballots in some counties. For a county-by-county list of the specific machines (and the source for this section) see Verified Votings' Verifier tool.

Direct-Recording Electronic (DRE) machines without a paper trail:


 * Danaher Controls Shouptronic 1242 voting machine.

Direct-Recording Electronic (DRE) machines with a paper trail:


 * ES&S iVotronic voting machine.

Optical scan machines:


 * ES&S Model 650 voting machine.
 * ES&S Model 100 voting machine.

Governmental election authorities
Secretary of State Charlie Daniels

Elections Division website: http://www.sosweb.state.ar.us/elections.html

Contact information:


 * Elections Division
 * State Capitol, RM 026
 * Little Rock, AR 72201
 * (501) 682-5070 or toll free at (800) 482-1127


 * Email: [mailto:electionsemail@sos.arkansas.gov electionsemail@sos.arkansas.gov]


 * Find your county clerk.

Voting machine verification and security

 * For an extensive log of voting machine problems, see the VotersUnite! report on election incidents.

State and local non-governmental election organizations
League of Women Voters of Arkansas

LWV of Arkansas, Mrs. Mary Alice Serafini, President
 * The Executive Building
 * 2020 West Third St, #504
 * Little Rock, AR 72205-0000
 * Phone: 501-376-7760
 * Fax 501-975-4670
 * E-mail lwvar@aristotle.net
 * http://www.lwv-arkansas.org

Local Leagues:
 * Benton County
 * Fort Smith
 * Pulaski County
 * Washington County