Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

There is an important deadline approaching for Arkansans planning to vote in the November election.

If you have not already registered to vote, you have until October 11 to file your voter registration application with your county clerk. 

If you submit your application close to an election registration deadline, you are strongly advised to follow up with your county clerk before Election Day. The General Election and Nonpartisan Runoff Election will be held on November 8. 

Early voting will begin on October 24. Early voting is available between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mondaythrough Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, ending at 5 p.m. on the Monday before the election. 

At the voting site, an election official will ask you to state your name, address, and date of birth. The election official will request you provide an approved form of I.D. 

You can check your voter registration status and find your polling location at www.voterview.org. On the website, you can find a sample ballot for your precinct. 

Due to redistricting changes, we encourage you to review your ballot before heading to the polls. The boundaries of voting districts for state legislators shifted to reflect population changes in the 2020 Census. Districts were also renumbered. You may have the same lawmaker listed on your ballot but your House or Senate district number may be different than in previous years. 

While Presidential elections get a lot of attention, the elections happening in midterm years are equally important. This election will determine our next Governor and constitutional officers. This ballot also includes several city and county elections, candidates for the Arkansas General Assembly, congressional races, and proposed amendments to the Arkansas Constitution.

Bill Eliminating Early Voting On The Day Before An Election Again Fails In Committee

By SARAH KELLOGG

A bill that would eliminate early voting in Arkansas on the Monday before an Election Day has failed in a Senate committee for a second time.

During a voice vote Tuesday, members of the Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee did not have enough yes votes to advance Senate Bill 485. It would eliminate all early voting in Arkansas on the day before both a preferential primary or general election day.

Four members of the public spoke against the bill, including Joshua Price, an election commissioner with the Pulaski County Election Commission. He addressed claims brought up in the prior hearing on the bill suggesting that poll workers needed a day off before Election Day in order to prepare.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/bill-eliminating-early-voting-day-election-again-fails-committee

Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, again presents Senate Bill 485, to the Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee.

CREDIT ARKANSAS SENATE

Arkansas Poll Finds Healthcare, Economy Biggest Concerns for Voters

The 22nd annual Arkansas Poll reports voters are most concerned about healthcare and the economy amid the pandemic. Politics was a top issue for more than 20 percent of respondents for the first time in the history of the poll.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/arkansas-poll-finds-healthcare-economy-biggest-concerns-voters

Arkansas Poll Finds Healthcare, Economy Biggest Concerns for Voters

The 22nd annual Arkansas Poll reports voters are most concerned about healthcare and the economy amid the pandemic. Politics was a top issue for more than 20 percent of respondents for the first time in the history of the poll.

Arkansas County Clerks See Uptick In Absentee Ballot Requests, But Feel Prepared For 2020 Election

With the general election less than two weeks away, Arkansans currently have three ways to vote: on Election Day, Nov. 3, during early voting which runs until Nov. 2, or with an absentee ballot, where the deadline to apply to receive one by mail is Oct. 27. 

On the Arkansas absentee ballot application itself, voters must choose between three options for requesting a ballot.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/arkansas-county-clerks-see-uptick-absentee-ballot-requests-feel-prepared-2020-election

Arkansas County Clerks See Uptick In Absentee Ballot Requests, But Feel Prepared For 2020 Election

With the general election less than two weeks away, Arkansans currently have three ways to vote: on Election Day, Nov. 3, during early voting which runs until Nov. 2, or with an absentee ballot, where the deadline to apply to receive one by mail is Oct. 27.

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

Unfortunately each Election Day, many would-be first-time voters in Arkansas do not have their votes counted because they are not actually registered to vote. The deadline to register to vote in the November election is October 5. The postmark on a mail-in application will be considered the submission date.

Many believed they had registered months before, but failed to follow up when they did not receive a voter ID card from their county clerk. The process of voter registration is convenient, but it also places responsibility on the registrant to ensure the process is completed.

Submitting your voter application at a state agency, in a voter registration drive or through the U.S. Postal Service does NOT guarantee your registration. You should follow up on the status of your registration just as you would on any other personal business matter. Before considering yourself a registered voter, you must receive an acknowledgment of your registration from the county clerk.

To register, you must fill out a paper Voter Registration Application. You can find one at the following locations:

Your local county clerk.

The Arkansas Secretary of State Elections Division www.sos.arkansas.gov .

Arkansas Secretary of State

Copyright © 2017 Arkansas Secretary of State. All Rights Reserved.

Local revenue or DMV office.

Public library.

Disability agency.

Military recruitment office.

If you are registering to vote by mail, you must provide either your driver’s license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number on your Arkansas Voter Registration Application, or check the box in #9 on the application to indicate that you do not possess either a driver’s license or Social Security number.

If you have moved from one county to another within Arkansas, you must update this information with the county clerk no later than 4 days

prior to Election Day via a Voter Registration Application.

Feel free to call your county clerk and inquire about the status of your application. You may also check your voter registration status online by visiting www.voterview.org.

Arkansas Secretary of State | VoterView

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Amidst the global pandemic, election officials are hard at work to provide safe and secure voting opportunities for Arkansans.

Voting in person on Election Day, early voting, or absentee voting are options available to voters. Early voting begins October 19.