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Arkansas state executive official elections, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Oct. 22 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 5
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required (preliminary injunction issued on April 26, 2018)
- Poll times: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
2022 →
← 2014
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Arkansas state executive official elections |
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Election details |
Filing deadline: March 1, 2018 |
Primary: May 22, 2018 Primary runoff: June 19, 2018 (if needed) General: November 6, 2018 |
How to vote |
Poll times: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voting in Arkansas |
Ballotpedia analysis |
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas and triplexes |
Other state executive elections |
The following state executive offices were up for election in Arkansas in 2018:
Governor
Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
Auditor
Treasurer
Public lands commissioner
Candidates and election results
Governor
General election
General election for Governor of Arkansas
Incumbent Asa Hutchinson defeated Jared Henderson and Mark West in the general election for Governor of Arkansas on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Asa Hutchinson (R) | 65.3 | 582,406 | |
Jared Henderson (D) | 31.8 | 283,218 | ||
Mark West (L) | 2.9 | 25,885 |
Total votes: 891,509 | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Arkansas
Jared Henderson defeated Leticia Sanders in the Democratic primary for Governor of Arkansas on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Jared Henderson | 63.3 | 67,046 | |
Leticia Sanders | 36.7 | 38,873 |
Total votes: 105,919 | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Arkansas
Incumbent Asa Hutchinson defeated Jan Morgan in the Republican primary for Governor of Arkansas on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Asa Hutchinson | 69.6 | 143,648 | |
Jan Morgan | 30.4 | 62,757 |
Total votes: 206,405 | ||||
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Lieutenant governor
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas
Incumbent Tim Griffin defeated Anthony Bland and Frank Gilbert in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Tim Griffin (R) | 64.2 | 570,433 | |
Anthony Bland (D) | 33.0 | 293,535 | ||
Frank Gilbert (L) | 2.8 | 24,767 |
Total votes: 888,735 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas
Anthony Bland advanced from the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Anthony Bland |
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas
Incumbent Tim Griffin advanced from the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Tim Griffin |
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Attorney general
General election
General election for Attorney General of Arkansas
Incumbent Leslie Rutledge defeated Mike Lee and Kerry Hicks in the general election for Attorney General of Arkansas on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Leslie Rutledge (R) | 61.8 | 549,668 | |
Mike Lee (D) | 35.4 | 315,099 | ||
Kerry Hicks (L) | 2.8 | 24,652 |
Total votes: 889,419 | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Attorney General of Arkansas
Mike Lee advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Arkansas on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Mike Lee |
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Attorney General of Arkansas
Incumbent Leslie Rutledge advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Arkansas on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Leslie Rutledge |
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Secretary of state
General election
General election for Arkansas Secretary of State
John Thurston defeated Susan Inman and Christopher Olson in the general election for Arkansas Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | John Thurston (R) | 60.6 | 537,581 | |
Susan Inman (D) | 36.5 | 323,644 | ||
Christopher Olson (L) | 2.9 | 25,320 |
Total votes: 886,545 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arkansas Secretary of State
Susan Inman advanced from the Democratic primary for Arkansas Secretary of State on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Susan Inman |
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arkansas Secretary of State
John Thurston defeated Trevor Drown in the Republican primary for Arkansas Secretary of State on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | John Thurston | 52.6 | 100,794 | |
Trevor Drown | 47.4 | 90,927 |
Total votes: 191,721 | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Auditor
General election
General election for Arkansas Auditor of State
Incumbent Andrea Lea defeated David Dinwiddie in the general election for Arkansas Auditor of State on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Andrea Lea (R) | 72.4 | 621,772 | |
David Dinwiddie (L) | 27.6 | 237,602 |
Total votes: 859,374 | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arkansas Auditor of State
Incumbent Andrea Lea advanced from the Republican primary for Arkansas Auditor of State on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Andrea Lea |
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Treasurer
General election
General election for Arkansas Treasurer
Incumbent Dennis Milligan defeated Ashley Ewald in the general election for Arkansas Treasurer on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Dennis Milligan (R) | 70.9 | 611,189 | |
Ashley Ewald (L) | 29.1 | 250,943 |
Total votes: 862,132 | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arkansas Treasurer
Incumbent Dennis Milligan advanced from the Republican primary for Arkansas Treasurer on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Dennis Milligan |
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Public lands commissioner
General election
General election for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
Tommy Land defeated Larry Williams and T.J. Campbell in the general election for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Tommy Land (R) | 60.0 | 530,230 | |
Larry Williams (D) | 36.7 | 323,682 | ||
T.J. Campbell (L) | 3.3 | 29,123 |
Total votes: 883,035 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
Larry Williams advanced from the Democratic primary for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Larry Williams |
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands
Tommy Land advanced from the Republican primary for Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Tommy Land |
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Context of the 2018 elections
Party control in Arkansas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans in Arkansas gained a state government trifecta as a result of the 2014 elections, when they recaptured the governor's office and retained control of the state legislature. Democrats had trifectas in the state from 1992 to 1997 and 2007 to 2013.
Arkansas Party Control: 1992-2025
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas • Eleven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Governor | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Arkansas utilizes an open primary system. Registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[1][2]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Arkansas, all polls are open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[3]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Arkansas, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Arkansas. A voter must be 18 years of age or older on or before Election Day, not be a convicted felon whose sentence has not been discharged or pardoned, and not be adjudged as mentally incompetent.[4]
Registration must be completed no later than 30 days before the election in which a voter wishes to participate. Citizens must complete and submit a voter registration application to their county clerk or other authorized voter registration agency. For voters that submit applications by mail, the date of postmark will be considered the submission date. Applications may be obtained at the following locations:[4]
- County clerk's office
- The Arkansas Secretary of State Elections Division
- Local revenue or DMV office
- Public library
- Disability agency
- Military recruitment office
- Online
Automatic registration
Arkansas does not practice automatic voter registration.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Arkansas does not permit online voter registration.
Same-day registration
Arkansas does not allow same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
Arkansas law requires 30 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.
Verification of citizenship
Arkansas does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who provides false information "may be subject to a fine of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 10 years under state and federal laws."[5]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[6] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The site Voter View, run by the Arkansas Secretary of State's office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Arkansas requires voters to present photo identification while voting. The identification must include the voter’s name and photograph. It must be issued by "the United States, the State of Arkansas, or an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the State of Arkansas." If the identification has an expiration date on it, it cannot be expired for "more than four (4) years before the date of the election in which the voter seeks to vote."[4]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of July 2024. Click here for the Arkansas Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
- Driver’s license
- Photo identification card
- Concealed handgun carry license
- United States passport
- Employee badge or identification document issued by an accredited postsecondary education institution in the State of Arkansas
- United States military identification document
- Public assistance identification card if it has a photograph
- Voter verification card as provided under Ark. Code § 7-5-324
"A person who is a resident of a long-term care or residential care facility licensed by the state of Arkansas is not required to verify his or her registration by presenting a document or identification card as described above when voting in person, but must provide documentation from the administrator of the facility attesting that the person is a resident of the facility," according to the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office.[4]
Voters can obtain a voter verification card at their county clerk's office: "[V]oters will be required to complete an affidavit stating they do not possess such identification, and must provide documentation containing their full legal name and date of birth, as well as documentation containing their name and residential address."[7]
Early voting
Arkansas permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
Arkansas voters are eligible to vote absentee/mail-in in an election if they cannot make it to the polls on Election Day for one of the following reasons:[8]
- The voter will be "unavoidably absent" from his or her polling location on Election Day.
- The voter is physically unable to visit his or her polling location on Election Day due to illness or disability.
- The voter is a member of the armed services, merchant marines, or is the spouse or dependent of such an individual and "are away from your polling location due to the member’s active duty status."
- The voter is temporarily living outside the United States.
To vote absentee/mail-in, a request must be received by elections officials either seven days prior to the election (if submitted by mail or fax), by the Friday before the election (if submitted in person), or by 1:30 p.m. on the day of the election if the request is made by an authorized agent for a voter confined in a hospital or nursing home. The deadline to return an absentee/mail-in ballot is by close of business the Friday before the election if returned in person, or received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day if submitted by mail or by an authorized agent. Military and overseas voters must complete their ballot by Election Day and they must be received by their county clerk by 5:00 p.m. 10 days after the election.[8][9][10]
Impact of term limits
Seven state executive seats in Arkansas were up for election in 2018. In the 2018 elections, two officials were ineligible to run because of term limits. The following state officials were term-limited in 2018:
Republicans (2):
- Secretary of State: Mark Martin
- Commissioner of State Lands: John Thurston
Of the 283 state executives offices on the ballot in 2018, 131 of them were represented by incumbents who were subject to term limits. Of the 36 gubernatorial seats up for election in 2018, 13 governors—two Democrats and 11 Republicans—were term-limited and therefore unable to run for re-election. Of the 31 states with term limits that held state executives elections in 2018, some incumbents in 18 of the states were term-limited.
A total of 49 state executive officials were ineligible to run in the 2018 elections because of term limits. This represented 17 percent of the 283 total seats up for election in 2018.[11] Republicans had more than six times as many state executive officials term-limited in 2018 than Democrats. A total of seven Democrats were term-limited, while 40 Republicans were term-limited. The other two term-limited officials were nonpartisan.
Past elections
2016
There were no state executive elections in Arkansas in 2016.
2014
The following elections took place in 2014.
- Arkansas down ballot state executive elections, 2014
- Arkansas gubernatorial election, 2014
- Arkansas Attorney General election, 2014
- Arkansas lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014
- Arkansas Secretary of State election, 2014
- Arkansas state executive official elections, 2014
2012
There were no state executive elections in Arkansas in 2012.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Arkansas state executive election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
State profile
Demographic data for Arkansas | ||
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Arkansas | U.S. | |
Total population: | 2,977,853 | 316,515,021 |
Land area (sq mi): | 52,035 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White: | 78% | 73.6% |
Black/African American: | 15.5% | 12.6% |
Asian: | 1.4% | 5.1% |
Native American: | 0.6% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander: | 0.2% | 0.2% |
Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
Hispanic/Latino: | 6.9% | 17.1% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate: | 84.8% | 86.7% |
College graduation rate: | 21.1% | 29.8% |
Income | ||
Median household income: | $41,371 | $53,889 |
Persons below poverty level: | 22.9% | 11.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Arkansas. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Arkansas
Arkansas voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Arkansas, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[12]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Arkansas had one Retained Pivot County, 0.55 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Arkansas coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Arkansas
- United States congressional delegations from Arkansas
- Public policy in Arkansas
- Endorsers in Arkansas
- Arkansas fact checks
- More...
See also
Arkansas | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures Website, "State Primary Election Types," accessed April 3, 2023
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ Arkansas Code, "Title 7, Chapter 5, Subchapter 304," accessed April 3, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Arkansas Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Information," accessed July 29, 2024
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Arkansas Voter Registration Application," accessed November 1, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed July 29, 2024
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Arkansas Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting," accessed July 29, 2024
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Military and Overseas Citizens," accessed April 3, 2023
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting," accessed April 3, 2023
- ↑ Some of the 49 state executive officials in 2018 may have resigned before their term ended. These state executive officials were still counted in the total number of term-limited state executives in 2018.
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.