Today’s episode of the Arkansas Civic Minute is brought to you by Civic Arkansas, a Winthrop Rockefeller Institute program, and hosted by Little Rock Public Radio’s Politics and Government Reporter Josie Lenora.
If you want to register to vote, you have to do it 30 days before an election. Some states allow voters to register closer to the election or on the same day, but Arkansas is not one of them.
If you have a criminal record, you can still vote in Arkansas but only if you have fully completed your sentence. Arkansans with a misdemeanor conviction can vote and sometimes do from jail. But you can be denied the right to vote if you were judged “mentally incompetent by a court.”
Online registration is an option in Arkansas. But you must fill out the signature on the form by hand. This is called the “wet signature” requirement, and it has been challenged in courts.
Most libraries, DMVs and county clerk’s offices should have registration documents available to the public.
Support for the Arkansas Civic Minute is provided by Civic Arkansas, a Winthrop Rockefeller Institute program. As a nonprofit convenor, the Institute looks to strengthens civic health by putting people first, removing barriers to participation, and supporting community-led solutions for a more connected civic culture. More information at https://rockefellerinstitute.org/programs/civic-arkansas/.