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Voting in your state

Voting in Arkansas, 2026

Every date and deadline for the November 3 general election, from registering to the final certificate, and who signs off on the result.

Right nowEarly voting is open in Arkansas through Monday, November 2.Election Day in 7 days

Every date, in order

  1. Mon, Oct 5 · passed
    Registration deadline
    Register by Monday October 5, 2026, since the 30-day deadline falls on a Sunday and moves to the next business day.1
  2. Mon, Oct 19 · passed
    Early voting begins
  3. Mon, Nov 2 · 6 days
    Early voting ends
    Early voting runs from Monday October 19 through Monday November 2, 2026.1
  4. Tue, Nov 3 · 7 days
    Election Day; Mail ballots must arrive
    Mailed absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, and ballots returned in person by close of business on Friday October 30, 2026.1
  5. Wed, Nov 18 · 22 days
    County/Local canvass; County/Local certification
    Counties canvass the returns within 15 calendar days of the election, by November 18.2
  6. Fri, Dec 18 · 52 days
    State certification
    The state certifies the results by Friday, December 18, 2026.3
  7. After certification
    Deadline to contest the result
    A contest for a county-certified office must be filed within 20 days of certification, and a legislative contest within 15 days of county certification.4

Questions people ask about voting in Arkansas

Q. When does early voting end in Arkansas?

Early voting runs from Monday October 19 through Monday November 2, 2026.

Q. When is the deadline to register to vote in Arkansas?

Register by Monday October 5, 2026, since the 30-day deadline falls on a Sunday and moves to the next business day.

Q. What is the last day to request a mail ballot in Arkansas?

Absentee applications must be received by Friday October 30, 2026 in person, or by Tuesday October 27, 2026 by mail.

Q. When does my mail ballot have to arrive in Arkansas?

Mailed absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, and ballots returned in person by close of business on Friday October 30, 2026.

Q. Who certifies the election in Arkansas, and by when?

The county board of election commissioners, two members from the party holding most statewide offices and one from another party, tallies the precinct results and sends the official results to the Secretary of State. County/Local results must be certified by Wednesday, November 18, 2026. No later than the 15th calendar day after the election, the county board of election commissioners shall proceed to ascertain, declare, and certify the result of the election to the secretary of state (Ark. Stat. Ann. § 7-5-701). The Secretary of State receives the county canvasses, publishes the statewide count and sends it to the Governor, who issues certificates to the winners, while the Legislature certifies the results for state executive offices. The state certifies the results by Friday, December 18, 2026.

Q. What happens after the count in Arkansas, and when is there a recount?

A candidate may ask for a recount by the time the county canvass is complete, or within two days after unofficial results if outstanding overseas ballots could change the result, and pays unless the recount changes the outcome.

Q. How long is there to contest an election in Arkansas?

A contest for a county-certified office must be filed within 20 days of certification, and a legislative contest within 15 days of county certification.

Explore this issue

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Sources

  1. Vote.org, Arkansas Election Center, https://www.vote.org/state/arkansas/
  2. NCSL, Canvass Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/canvass-deadlines
  3. NCSL, Election Certification Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/election-certification-deadlines
  4. NCSL, Contested Election Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/contested-election-deadlines
  5. NASS, State Election Canvassing Timeframes and Recount Thresholds, https://www.nass.org/node/2455
  6. Bolts, Who counts our elections, https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/who-counts-our-elections/

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