Arkansas Election FAQ"s

Q. What are the requirements to be a registered voter in Arkansas?
A. You must:
*Be a U.S. citizen.
*Be an Arkansas resident (residing in Arkansas at least 31 days prior to the first
election in which you will vote).
*Be age 18 or turn 18 before the next election.
*Not be a convicted felon who has not been discharged or pardoned.
*Not have been adjudged mentally incompetent as to your ability to vote by a court
of competent jurisdiction.
*Not be registered elsewhere - in another county in Arkansas or another state.

Q. How can I apply to register to vote?
A. Apply in person at one of the following locations:
*County Clerk's Office in your home county
*State Revenue Office, Driver Services (pick up a paper form or ask for your
information to be transmitted electronically)
*Public Library or Arkansas State Library
*Public Assistance Agency
*Disability Agency
*Military Recruitment Office
*Arkansas National Guard
*Any Voter Registration Drive
*Apply by mail. It's easy! Obtain an application from:
*Your county clerk
*Secretary of State Voter Services 1-800-247-3312
*The Internet at www.sosweb.state.ar.us/vote/vote.html

Q. What if I am registered in another county or state?
A. If you have moved to Arkansas from another state, please notify your voter
registrar in the previous state of residence to request cancellation.
Similarly, if you have moved from one county to another within Arkansas, you
must cancel your registration in the old county and reregister in your new
county of residence.
If you have questions about canceling your registration, please ask your local
County Clerk for assistance.

Q. As a new applicant, how do I know when I've actually been registered?
A. Consider yourself registered when and only when you receive an acknowledgment
from your County Clerk - this could take several weeks, regardless of your
method of application.
Never "assume" you are registered to vote until you have received this
acknowledgment.

Q. What do I do if weeks pass without hearing from my County Clerk?
A. Call your County Clerk after two weeks and inquire about the status of your
application.

Q. When is it too late to apply to register prior to an election?
A. 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. If
you mail your application, its postmark will determine the deadline eligibility.
If you submit your application close to an election registration deadline, you are
strongly advised to follow up on your registration status by contacting your
County Clerk.
If an election deadline is looming, there is one method of application that will
ensure your eligibility: application in person with your local County Clerk.
As a new voter, we do not recommend that you go to a poll to vote on election day
before verifying your registration status with your local County Clerk.
Special Registration Issues:
If you are a college student attending college OUTSIDE of your home county, you
must decide what county you consider "home." If you intend to return someday to
your home county, then list your parents' address as your residence. If you do NOT
intend to return there, then list your college address as your residence.

Remember: you must keep your residence address CURRENT on your voter
registration. This requirement often persuades college students to use their
parents' address, which is less likely to change repeatedly.

If you are in the military, you may register to vote in a county where you "intend
to reside" in the future. This intent to reside should be substantiated by some
action on your part like obtaining a drivers license, paying taxes, etc. Without
such an intent to reside in a particular county, you may register with the county
to vote only for federal officeholders or issues. In this type of situation, you
would not be eligible to vote for local candidates or issues.

Military personnel may contact the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) for
further information or to obtain a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). Call
1-800-438-8683 or email the program at vote@fvap.gov.

If you own property in more than one 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.

Q. How many ways can I vote in Arkansas?
A. Vote at your poll on election day from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm.

Your poll is determined by your residence and its corresponding precinct assigned
to you by your County Clerk. Most local newspapers publish a list of polling
places by precinct within a few days of an election. You may find your precinct
on the voter id card sent to you by your County Clerk.

Vote early.
You may vote one to fifteen days prior to an election by early voting.
In most counties, you vote early in the County Clerk's office during normal
business hours.

If your county offers "off-site" early voting, your local paper will publish the
designated sites.

There is no additional paperwork required to vote early, only your presence.

You may update your voter registration information while you vote early if your
name or address has changed.

Vote absentee.
If you fall into one of these categories, you may vote absentee:
You will be unavoidably absent from your polling site on election day (the law
does not require you to give a reason).

You will be unable to attend your polling site due to illness or physical
disability.
Visit http://www.votenaturally.org/all_about_voting.html for more information.

Q. What procedure should I expect when I vote early or on election day?
A. You must state your name and address and confirm your date of birth to an
election official.

The election official will ask you to provide identification. The following documents are acceptable: valid driver's license, valid photo id card issued by a governmental agency, voter id card, Social Security card, birth certificate, U.S. passport, employee id card issued by a governmental agency containing a photograph, employee id card issued in the normal course of business of the employer, valid student id card, valid Arkansas hunting license, valid U.S. Military id card.

If a voter is unable to provide identification, the election official will indicate on the Precinct Voter Registration List that the voter did not provide identification.

In a primary election, you must state which party ballot you want to vote (as of 1999, Democratic or Republican), beginning in the 2002 primary, a non-partisan judicial ballot will also be available.

In a primary election, you are allowed to vote only one party's ballot, or beginning in 2002, you may select the non-partisan judicial ballot only.

In a primary election, the election official records which party ballot you vote.

You must sign the Precinct Voter Registration List.
You must sign the List of Voters.
The election official will give you your ballot or direct you to a voting machine.
You will go alone to a voting booth and mark your ballot.
You are allotted 5 minutes to vote.
After voting your ballot, you will tear off the ballot stub and place it in the
stub box provided.
Finally, you will deposit the ballot in the ballot box.

Q. If the election official knows me, do I have to present identification?
A. Yes.

Q. What if I need assistance to vote my ballot?
A. If you inform the election officials that you need assistance, you may ask two
election officials to assist you in marking your ballot and voting, or you may
be assisted by another person of your choice. If you are unable to stand in
line, you may request to advance to the front of the line.

If you are disabled, an election official may not bring a ballot to your car.
Please plan ahead to vote absentee if you are physically unable to make it into
your polling site. Under no circumstances may a ballot leave the polling site.

Q. What if my polling site is not wheelchair accessible?
A. The Americans With Disabilities Act requires all polling sites to be wheelchair accessible. Please call the State Board of Election Commissioners (501-682-1783) if you are uncertain about the accessibility of your polling site.

Q. What if I make a mistake on my ballot?
A. If you have not already deposited your ballot in the ballot box, you may ask an election official for another ballot. You will be asked to sign a Spoiled Ballot Affidavit, recording the ballot stub number. Do not hesitate to ask to start over.

Q. What if I am at the polls and my current address differs from what appears on the Precinct Voter Registration List?
A. If your new address IS within the current voting precinct, an election official
may record it on the Precinct Voter Registration List OR may request that you
fill out a Voter Registration Application to update your records.

If your new address is NOT within the current voting precinct, you must contact
your County Clerk to determine the appropriate precinct. You must then go to the
proper polling site to vote. You will not be allowed to vote at a polling site
that does not correspond with your current residence.

Q. What if my name is NOT on the Precinct Voter Registration List?
A. Are you a recent applicant? If so, did you properly follow up with your County
Clerk? Did the County Clerk send you a voter id card or some other type of
acknowledgment of your registration?

You must identify yourself by name and date of birth. An election judge must
discover if you are indeed registered with the County Clerk and if your
registration occurred by the election deadline.

The election official must also confirm that your current address is within the
boundaries of that voting precinct.

If all your information is confirmed, you must complete a Voter Registration
Application to update your information.

Q. What if my name is NOT on the Precinct Voter Registration List AND the election official cannot confirm my registration?
A. You may vote a challenged ballot. Your challenged ballot will be maintained
separately and securely from the other ballots. Prior to certification of
election results, your County Board of Election Commissioners must determine the
validity of all the challenged ballots. If your voter registration and
eligibility to vote in the election at that poll can be confirmed with the
county clerk, your ballot will be counted.

If you have to vote a challenged ballot, call your local county clerk. If the
clerk has no record of your application for registration, request that the clerk
send you a new application in the mail. Next time follow up on your registration
status.

Q. Who can "actively" challenge my ballot?
A. Poll watchers (candidates, representatives of candidates or representatives of
issues) are allowed inside the polls to observe, and sometimes they challenge
the ballots of voters. Normally, they base a challenge on identity, address or
date of birth of the voter. In other words, a poll watcher questions that a
voter is who he says he is, questions that he lives at the stated address, or
questions that he is old enough to vote.

Poll workers (election officials) may also challenge your ballot based on
identity.

Q. What happens if my ballot is challenged by a pollwatcher?
A. Your ballot will be maintained separately from other ballots until the close of
the polls. At that time, Election Commissioners verify your registration and
eligibility to vote at that poll. If your registration and eligibility are in
order, they will count your ballot.

Q. Are candidates allowed to solicit my vote outside my polling site?
A. Yes, "electioneering" is allowed outside the polls. However, it may not occur
within 100 feet of the primary entrances of the buildings that contain polls.
If you are approached by a campaign worker or candidate within 100 feet of a
poll, report the violation to the election officials at that poll immediately or
contact your County Board of Election Commissioners.

Q. So, if I have some sort of problem or question, who do I call?
A. If you have a problem or question involving your registration information or
registration status, contact your local County Clerk.

Examples:

The date is approaching 30 days prior to an election, and you haven't received
your voter id card.

Your name does not appear on the Precinct Voter Registration List at your poll,
and the election officials cannot verify your registration.

You have moved or changed your name, and you need to update your voter
information.

If you have a problem or question involving a poll worker, a poll watcher, or any
election day procedure at a poll, contact your local County Board of Election
Commissioners