Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Arkansas
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In order to get on the ballot in Arkansas, a candidate for president of the United States must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A presidential candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.
There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for president of the United States.
- An individual can seek thenomination of a political party. Presidential nominees are selected by delegates at national nominating conventions. Individual states conduct caucuses or primary elections to determine which delegates will be sent to the national convention.[1]
- An individual can run asan independent. Independent presidential candidates typically must petition in each state in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.[1]
- An individual can run asa write-in candidate.[1]
The information on this page applies only to presidential candidates. For additional information about ballot access requirements for state and congressional candidates, seethis page.
Year-specific filing information
2024
The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Arkansas in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Arkansas, clickhere.
Presidential primary candidates
| Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Arkansas, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Arkansas | Democratic | 5,000 | Fixed by party | $2,500.00 | Fixed by party | 11/14/23[2] | Source,Source |
| Arkansas | Republican | N/A | N/A | $25,000 | Fixed by party | 11/14/23 | Source,Source |
Independent presidential candidates
| Filing requirements for independent candidates in Arkansas, 2024 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Arkansas | 5,000 | Fixed by statute | N/A | N/A | 8/1/2024 | Source |
For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.
2020
The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Arkansas in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Arkansas, clickhere.
Presidential primary candidates
| Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Arkansas, 2020 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Arkansas | Democratic | 5,000 | Fixed by party | $2,500.00 | Fixed by party | 11/12/2019 | Source |
| Arkansas | Republican | N/A | N/A | Unknown | Fixed by party | 11/12/2019 | Source |
Independent presidential candidates
| Filing requirements for independent candidates in Arkansas, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Arkansas | 1,000 | Fixed by statute | N/A | N/A | 8/3/2020 | Source |
2016
The calendar below lists important filing deadlines in Arkansas for the2016 presidential election. For information about campaign finance reporting deadlines, seebelow.
| Dates and requirements for presidential candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| November 2, 2015 | Ballot access | Primary filing period opens at 12:00 p.m. | |
| November 9, 2015 | Ballot access | Primary filing period closes at 12:00 p.m. | |
| March 1, 2016 | Election date | Preferential primary election | |
| August 1, 2016 | Ballot access | Petition deadline for political group and independent presidential candidates | |
| September 15, 2016 | Ballot access | Political parties, political groups, and independent candidates must submit lists of presidential electors to the secretary of state | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| Source:Arkansas Secretary of State, "2016 Election Dates," accessed August 19, 2015 | |||
Qualifications
Article 2, Section 1, of theUnited States Constitution sets the following qualifications for the presidency:[3]
| “ | No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.[4] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
Article 2, Section 4, of theUnited States Constitution says an individual can be disqualified from the presidency if impeached and convicted:
| “ | The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.[4] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
The14th Amendment to theUnited States Constitution says an individual can also be disqualified from the presidency under the following conditions:
| “ | No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.[4] | ” |
| —United States Constitution | ||
Party nomination processes
- See also:Primary election andCaucus
| Hover over the terms below to display definitions. | |
| Ballot access laws | |
| Primary election | |
| Caucus | |
| Delegate | |
 | |
A political party formally nominates its presidential candidate at a national nominating convention. At this convention, statedelegates select the party's nominee. Prior to the nominating convention, the states conduct presidential preferenceprimaries orcaucuses. Generally speaking, only state-recognized parties — such as theDemocratic Party and theRepublican Party — conduct primaries and caucuses. These elections measure voter preference for the various candidates and help determine which delegates will be sent to the national nominating convention.[1][5][6]
The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, the governing bodies of the nation's two major parties, establish their own guidelines for the presidential nomination process. State-level affiliates of the parties also have some say in determining rules and provisions in their own states. Individuals interested in learning more about the nomination process should contact the political parties themselves for full details.
In Arkansas, theDemocratic andRepublican parties conduct presidential preference primaries. To qualify for placement on the primary ballot, a candidate must file the following items with the secretary of the state committee of his or her party:[7]
- an affidavit of eligibility "stating that the candidate is eligible to serve in the office he or she seeks"
- a party filing fee, if required (fees are set by the parties themselves)
- a party pledge, if required
Upon filing these items, the candidate must obtain a party certificate from his or her political party. The candidate must then file the party certificate, as well as a political practices pledge, with theArkansas Secretary of State. The filing period opens at 12:00 p.m. on the first Monday in November and ends at 12:00 p.m. seven days later.[7][8]
General election requirements
The president of the United States is elected not by popular vote, but by the Electoral College. TheElectoral College comprises a total of 538 electors. Each state is allocated a number of electors equal to the size of its congressional delegation. The Office of the Federal Register administers the Electoral College process:[9][10]
| “ | On Election Day, the voters in each State choose the Electors by casting votes for the presidential candidate of their choice. The Electors’ names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State. The winning candidate in each State—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of the Electors—is awarded all of the State’s Electors.[4] | ” |
| —The Office of the Federal Register | ||
Typically, electors are selected by state parties. Federal law does not require electors to vote "according to the results of the popular vote in their states." Some states and political parties have enacted policies requiring their electors to vote in accordance with the popular vote. According to the Office of the Federal Register, "throughout our history as a nation, more than 99 percent of electors have voted as pledged."[9][10]
Arkansas was allocated six electoral votes, the same number it was allocated in the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential contests.[11]
Political parties and political groups
A state-recognized political party or group must submit a list of its presidential electors to theArkansas Secretary of State by September 15 in the year of the election. State law stipulates that this filing "shall be deemed and taken to be the choosing and selection of the electors ofArkansas, if the party or group is successful at the polls, ... in choosing their candidates for president and vice president."[12]
In Arkansas, a political party is defined as any group whose candidate forgovernor or president won at least 3 percent of the total votes cast for those offices in the most recent general election, or has submitted a petition containing a minimum of 10,000 signatures. A political group that does not qualify as a political party can petition to have the names of its presidential and vice presidential candidates printed on the general election ballot. At least 5,000 qualified state voters must sign the petition, which must be submitted to the secretary of state by noon on the first Monday in August of the year of the election. The secretary of state must verify the petition within 10 days of filing.[12][13]
Independent candidates
An independent candidate can petition to have his or her name printed on the ballot as a candidate for the presidency. At least 5,000 qualified state voters must sign the petition, which must be submitted to the secretary of state by noon on the first Monday in August in the year of the election. The secretary of state must verify the petition within 10 days of filing.[12][13]
Running for multiple offices
Some states prohibit candidates for the presidency from seeking other offices simultaneously. Arkansas state law does not prohibit a candidate for president or vice president from running as a candidate for any other office.[14]
| “ | The appearance on the general election ballot of the name of a party nominee for the office of President or Vice President of the United States in lieu of the names of the candidates for electors for the offices shall not limit or restrict the party nominee so named from being a candidate in his or her own right for any office to be filled at the general election[4] | ” |
| —Arkansas Code of 1987, Section 7-8-303 | ||
Sore loser laws
Some states bar candidates who sought, but failed, to secure the nomination of a political party from running as independents in the general election. These restrictions are sometimes calledsore loser laws. Under Arkansas state law, a candidate who sought the nomination of a political party is not eligible to run as an independent or write-in candidate for the same office in the general election. Such a candidate is also prohibited from running with another party for the same office in the general election.[15][16][17]
Richard Winger, publisher ofBallot Access News, has argued that, generally speaking, "sore loser laws have been construed not to apply to presidential primaries." His analysis of state sore loser laws and their applicability in presidential elections can be accessedhere.[18]
Write-in requirements
Arkansas state law does not permit write-in candidates in presidential elections.[7]
Historical information
According toRichard Winger, publisher ofBallot Access News, between 1892 and 2012 there were 401 instances in which a state required an independent or unqualified party candidate to collect more than 5,000 signatures in order to appear on the general election ballot. In Arkansas, there were two such instances during this period; no parties or candidates qualified in either case. Arkansas has not required an independent or nonqualified party candidate to collect more than 5,000 signatures since 1976. See the table below for further details. The first column lists the state, the second lists the year, and the third lists the signature requirement. Columns four through nine list candidates and/or parties that met the requirement.[18]
Noteworthy events
2021
On March 8, 2021, GovernorAsa Hutchinson (R) signedHB1338 into law, raising the petition requirement for independent political group candidates from 1,000 to 5,000 signatures. The legislation cleared theAlabama House of Representatives 93-0, with three members not voting and four members voting "present." The bill cleared theAlabama State Senate 29-3, with one member not voting and two members excused.[19]
Campaign finance requirements
TheFederal Election Commission (FEC) is the only agency authorized to regulate the financing of presidential and other federal campaigns (i.e., campaigns for theUnited States Senate and theUnited States House of Representatives). The states cannot impose additional requirements on federal candidates. Federal law requires all presidential candidates to file a statement of candidacy within 15 days of receiving contributions or making expenditures that exceed $5,000. The statement of candidacy is the only federally mandated ballot access requirement for presidential candidates; all other ballot access procedures are mandated at the state level. The candidacy statement authorizes "a principal campaign committee to raise and spend funds" on behalf of the candidate. Within 10 days of filing the candidacy statement, the committee must file astatement of organization with the FEC. In addition, federal law establishes contribution limits for presidential candidates. These limits are detailed in the table below. The uppermost row indicates the recipient type; the leftmost column indicates the donor type.[20][21]
| Candidate committees | Political action committees | State and district party committees | National party committees | Additional national party committee accounts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | $3,300 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $41,300 per year | $123,900 per account, per year |
| Candidate committee | $2,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Multicandidate political action committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | $5,000 per year (combined) | $15,000 per year | $45,000 per account, per year |
| Other political action committee | $3,300 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $41,300 per year | $123,900 per account, per year |
| State and district party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| National party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $3,300 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $3,300 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source:Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed May 8, 2023 | |||||
Presidential candidate committees are required to file regular campaign finance reports disclosing "all of their receipts and disbursements" either quarterly or monthly. Committees may choose which filing schedule to follow, but they must notify the FEC in writing and "may change their filing frequency no more than once per calendar year."[22]
For contribution limits from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.
| Federal contribution limits, 2019-2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate committees | Political action committees | State and district party committees | National party committees | Additional national party committee accounts | |
| Individual | $2,800 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $33,500 per year | $106,500 per account, per year |
| Candidate committee | $2,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Multicandidate political action committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | $5,000 per year (combined) | $15,000 per year | $45,000 per account, per year |
| Other political action committee | $2,800 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $35,500 per year | $106,500 per account, per year |
| State and district party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| National party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,800 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,800 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source:Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed August 8, 2019 | |||||
| Federal contribution limits, 2015-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate committees | Political action committees | State and district party committees | National party committees | Additional national party committee accounts | |
| Individual | $2,700 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $33,400 per year | $100,200 per account, per year |
| Candidate committee | $2,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Multicandidate political action committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | $5,000 per year (combined) | $15,000 per year | $45,000 per account, per year |
| Other political action committee | $2,700 per election | $5,000 per year | $10,000 per year (combined) | $33,400 per year | $100,200 per account, per year |
| State and district party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| National party committee | $5,000 per election | $5,000 per year | Unlimited transfers | Unlimited transfers | N/A |
| Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,700 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,700 to the same candidate committee for the general election. Source:Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015 | |||||
Election agencies
Contact information
Election agencies
- See also:State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Arkansas can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Arkansas County Clerks
Arkansas Secretary of State, Election Division
- State Capitol, Suite 256
- 500 Woodlane Street
- Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
- Phone: 501-682-5070
- Email:electionsemail@sos.arkansas.gov
- Website:http://www.sos.arkansas.gov/
Arkansas Ethics Commission
- Physical Address: 501 Woodlane St., Suite 301N
- Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 1917
- Little Rock, Arkansas 72203-1917
- Phone: 501-324-9600
- Toll free: 1-800-422-7773
- Fax: 501-324-9606
- Email:graham.sloan@arkansas.gov
- Website:http://www.arkansasethics.com/
Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners
- 501 Woodlane Dr., Suite 122 S
- Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
- Phone: 501-682-1834
- Toll free: 1-800-411-6996
- Fax: 501-682-1782
- Email:info.SBEC@sos.arkansas.gov
- Website:http://www.arkansas.gov/sbec/
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email:clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website:https://www.eac.gov
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See also
Use the dropdown menu below to navigate Ballotpedia's coverage of presidential election ballot access.
External links
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.11.21.3Vote Smart, "Government 101: United States Presidential Primary," accessed November 16, 2023Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "votesmart" defined multiple times with different content - ↑A candidate can qualify for ballot placement either by filing a petition or by paying the filing fee. A candidate does not need to do both.
- ↑The Constitution of the United States of America, "Article 2, Section 1," accessed August 3, 2015
- ↑4.04.14.24.34.4Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑The Washington Post, "Everything you need to know about how the presidential primary works," May 12, 2015
- ↑FactCheck.org, "Caucus vs. Primary," February 3, 2020
- ↑7.07.17.2Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners, "Running for Public Office (2024 Edition)," accessed November 16, 2023
- ↑Arkansas Code, "A.C.A. § 7-7-203," accessed November 16, 2023
- ↑9.09.1Archives.gov, "What is the Electoral College?" accessed August 25, 2015
- ↑10.010.1Archives.gov, "Who are the Electors?" accessed August 25, 2015
- ↑Archives.gov, "Distribution of Electoral Votes," accessed November 16, 2023
- ↑12.012.112.2Arkansas Code of 1987, "Title 7, Chapter 8, Subchapter 3, Section 302," accessed November 16, 2023
- ↑13.013.1Ballot Access News, "Arkansas Governor Signs Bill that Increases Presidential Ballot Access Petition," March 12, 2021
- ↑Arkansas Code of 1987, "Title 7, Chapter 8, Subchapter 3, Section 303," accessed November 16, 2023
- ↑SSRN, "Sore Loser Laws and Democratic Contestation," accessed November 16, 2023
- ↑Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, "“If You Ain’t First, You’re Last”: How State “Sore-Loser” Laws Make It Impossible For Trump To Run A Successful Third-Party Campaign If He Loses The Republican Primary," accessed November 16, 2023
- ↑Arkansas Code of 1987, "Section 7-7-204," accessed November 16, 2023
- ↑18.018.1This information comes from research conducted by Richard Winger, publisher and editor ofBallot Access News.
- ↑Arkansas State Legislature, "HB1338," accessed March 15, 2021
- ↑Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015
- ↑Federal Election Commission, "Quick Answers to Candidate Questions," accessed August 13, 2015
- ↑Federal Election Commission, "2016 Reporting Dates," accessed June 17, 2022
