Arkansas
ELECTION INFO: SECRETARY OF STATE
Arkansas
Phone: (501) 682-3419
STATE-ISTICS: STATE INFORMATION
Recognized party qualifications:
Received at least 3% of the votes for governor or
presidential electors in the last general election* [7-
1-101(16)]
Primary ballot access:
Each political party shall be responsible for
determining the qualifications of candidates seeking
nomination by the political party, provide necessary
applications for candidacy, accept and process the
applications, and determine the order of its ballot [7-
7-201(5)]
Democratic Party Requirements:
File with the party in April
Petition: 3% of voters in the previous presidential
primary (in 2004, this will approximately46,913
signatures) or 1,000 per congressional district,
whichever is less
Party filing fee: $2,500
Deadline: pay fee between the third Tuesday in March
and 14 days after [7-7-203(c)]
Republican Party Requirements:
File with the party in April
Party filing fee: $10,000 (Note: fee was $5,000 in
2000)
Deadline: pay fee between the third Tuesday in March
and 14 days after [7-7-203(c)]
New party qualifications:
Petition: 3% of the total number of votes cast for
governor or presidential electors, whichever is less, in
the last general election [7-7-205]
Circulate 150 days before deadline [7-7-205]
Deadline: first Monday in May [7-7-205]
General ballot access for new parties:
New parties may nominate candidates by convention
[7-7-205]
General ballot access for unrecognized party candidates:
Petition: 1,000 signatures [7-8-302(5b)]
Deadline: first Monday in August [7-8-302(5b)]
No filing fees
General ballot access for independent candidates:
Petition: 3% of voters statewide (in 2004, this will be
approximately 46,913 signatures) [7-7-103]
Deadline: May 1 [7-7-103]
No filing fees
Last day to withdraw from the ballot:
no statute
Primary date:
Tuesday three weeks prior to the
second Tuesday in June [7-7-203
(b)]
Participation: Closed primary
Voter registration: 30 days before the election
* In Reform Party v. Priest, a US district court ruled that Arkansas
cannot require more signatures for a new party than it requires for
a statewide independent candidate (10,000 signatures).
Therefore, qualifying as a recognized party should only require
10,000 petition signatures. However, the secretary of state refuses
to obey the courts decision and instead the 3% rule remains in
practice.
Source:
The Reform Institute (December 2003). Presidential Ballot Access: State by State Scorecard. Retrieved November 10, 2008, from https://www.policyarchive.org/bitstream/handle/10207/5646/2003scorecard.....
NO WRITE-IN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ALLOWED.
Source:
Frank Moore (May 8, 2008). US Presidential Write-In Candidate Requirements For Each State. Retrieved November 10, 2008, from http://www.writein2008.blogspot.com/
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