2026 Midterms State GuideArkansas
Hold on to your duck calls and fly rods.
Polls are closed
Polls are closed in Arkansas, and results aren’t finalized yet.
Ballots are still being counted, close races can take days to call, and no result is official until it’s certified.
A prayer for Arkansas
Creator and Sustainer of all nature, we pray for Arkansas as voters approach the midterms. Thank You for the privilege voters have to cast their vote for the good of their community. Sharpen their attention, help them see the ballot with Your eyes, and help them vote with both conviction and humility.
Read the whole prayerUpdated
Hi! It’s me, Shadrach. Apparently, I’m your civic guide today. If you’ve been complaining about how things are going (and I’ve heard you... the walls are thin), this guide will help you feel informed and able to vote in this year’s midterms. Now, hold on to your duck calls and fly rods, and let’s get into it.
Arkansas at a glance
Arkansas votes on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, for governor, U.S. Senate, all 4 U.S. House seats and four statewide ballot measures.
- Election Day
- Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Voter registration
- Oct. 5: Voter registration deadline
- Early voting
- Oct. 19 to Nov. 2: Early voting, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays; ends at 5 p.m. Nov. 2
- Governor
- 3 candidates
- U.S. Senate
- 3 candidates
- U.S. House
- 4 seats
- Statewide ballot measures
- 4
What happens next
The counting continues
Election-night numbers are unofficial. Mail, provisional, and military ballots are still being counted, so close races can take days to call.
Officials double-check the count
Local election officials review the ballots and the tallies (the canvass). A very close race can go to a recount.
Arkansas certifies the results
Results become official once Arkansas certifies them, usually a few weeks after Election Day.
Winners take office
The new Congress takes office in early January. Governors and other state officials take office on dates set by state law, most of them in January too.
Important dates
- March 3Primaries (runoffs March 31) This date has passed.
- Oct. 5Voter registration deadline This date has passed.
- Oct. 19 to Nov. 2Early voting, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays; ends at 5 p.m. Nov. 2 This date has passed.
- Oct. 27Deadline for absentee ballot applications by mail, fax, or email to be received This date has passed.
- Oct. 30Last day to apply for an absentee ballot in person or to hand-deliver your absentee ballot (close of business) This date has passed.
- Nov. 3Election Day, polls open 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; mailed absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. This date has passed.
What’s at stake
According to Arkansas’s prospective candidates for Congress, Arkansas voters across the political spectrum have expressed frustration with the cost of groceries, housing, and healthcare. One candidate noted that affordability has long been a problem in Arkansas, one of the poorest states in the U.S., while current Sen. Tom Cotton (R) has named inflation as the biggest issue facing Arkansas. The Natural State has historically seen some of the lowest voter turnout in the country, adding another level of uncertainty to races.
Who’s on your ballot
Tap a race to see the candidates.
Arkansas is choosing a governor
See whose priorities line up with yours
Here are the top priorities each candidate lists, in their own words. Pick the 3 that matter most to you. Names stay hidden until you see your results.
0 of 3 picked
Sarah Huckabee SandersRepublicanincumbent
Top priorities- Continuing the LEARNS Act education overhaul, including higher teacher pay and education freedom accounts for private school
- Expanding prison space and keeping repeat violent offenders off the streets
- Cutting taxes with the goal of phasing out the state income tax
Fredrick LoveDemocratArkansas State Senator, 15th district
Top priorities- Growing the economy statewide with regional economic hubs, infrastructure upgrades and apprenticeships
- Getting every student reading on grade level, expanding school mental health support and paying teachers fairly
- Halting the planned Franklin County prison and investing in rehabilitation and reentry programs instead
- Top priorities
Colt ShelbyLibertarian- Publicly disclosing major state contracts and incentive deals before they're finalized
- Requiring independent audits of large state contracts and full accounting of economic development incentives
- Opposing the proposed 3,000-bed Franklin County prison over cost overruns and siting concerns
- Get to know ’emHallie ShoffnerDemocrat
- Get to know ’em
Jeff WadlinLibertarian
All U.S. House of Representatives seats are up for election every two years. Find your district here.
- Shadrach’s big picture
Arkansas will elect four candidates to represent it in the U.S. House. Republicans are expected to hold all four seats.
- Open seats
None
- Competitive districts
No Arkansas district is considered competitive (all four solidly Republican). Candidates in both parties filed to run in all four districts, so no district is guaranteed to either party, but a Democratic candidate hasn’t won a congressional seat in Arkansas since 2010.
Statewide ballot measures
4 to read before you go. Tap one to open it.
This measure adds more explicit language to the Arkansas Constitution stating that only U.S. citizens may vote in state or local elections. The Constitution already says this, but this language makes the requirement clearer.
Voting yessupports amending the constitution to state more explicitly that only U.S. citizens may vote in state or local electionsVoting noopposes amending the constitution and keeping the current language, which already limits voting to U.S. citizensExpands the gun-rights language in the Arkansas Constitution to explicitly state that citizens have the right to keep and bear arms for hunting, recreation, and any other lawful purpose. The specific verbiage: the right to bear arms "is a natural, fundamental, and individual right that shall not be infringed."
Voting yessupports amending the constitution to state that citizens have a natural, fundamental, and individual right to keep and bear arms for hunting, recreation, and any other lawful purposeVoting noopposes amending the constitution and keeping the current language, which states that “The citizens of this State shall have the right to keep and bear arms, for their common defense.”This measure opens the door for the state legislature to establish programs like Economic Development Districts (think: government entities that focus on economic development in their region) and create grants and loans using public money for statewide economic growth.
Voting yessupports amending the constitution to let the legislature establish programs like Economic Development Districts and create grants and loans using public money for statewide economic growthVoting noopposes amending the constitution, which doesn’t currently give the legislature this permission, so it could not set up programs like Economic Development Districts or make these grants and loans of public moneyAuthorizes the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to issue $500 million in bonds over time to keep water-related infrastructure flowing.
Voting yessupports letting the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission issue $500 million in bonds over time for water-related infrastructureVoting noopposes authorizing the bonds, so the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission does not take on this $500 million in new borrowing
Also on the ballot
Other races Arkansas voters will decide.
- Lieutenant Governor
- Attorney General
- Secretary of State
- Auditor
- Commissioner of State Lands
- Treasurer
- State Senate
- State House
- State Supreme Court
- Intermediate Appellate Court
- Special State Legislative
- School boards
- Municipal Government
- Recalls
- Local Ballot Measures
Whose job is it?
Ten things government does. Tap the office that does each one.
Whose job is it to…
1 of 10
Declare a state of emergency after a hurricane or flood?
Pass it on
Know someone voting in Arkansas?
Send them the guide. It takes one tap, and it saves them an evening of arguing in a group chat.
From the newsroom
How TPO has covered Arkansas this cycle. Tap one to read it here.
A prayer for Arkansas
Creator and Sustainer of all nature, we pray for Arkansas as voters approach the midterms. Thank You for the privilege voters have to cast their vote for the good of their community. Sharpen their attention, help them see the ballot with Your eyes, and help them vote with both conviction and humility.
May candidates campaign with integrity. Remind them that the office is not a mere prize to be won, but a profound responsibility to be cared for. If they win, surround them with wise counsel and guide them toward decisions that serve their constituents. For those who lose, bring comfort and give them grace for their actions.
Draw near to all those in the Natural State who are tempted toward anxiety, anger, or despair. Guard their hearts with a peace that this political moment cannot give. No candidate or ballot decision usurps Your sovereignty or thwarts Your good purposes.
Amen.