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Arkansas elections, 2012
| Contents |
|---|
| 1 2012 Elections |
| 2 Eligibility to Vote |
| 2.1 Primary election |
| 2.2 General election |
| 3 Voting absentee |
| 3.1 Eligibility |
| 3.2 Deadlines |
| 3.3 Military and overseas voting |
| 4 Voting early |
| 5 See also |
| 6 References |
The state of Arkansas held elections in 2012. Below are the dates of note:
- Signature filing deadline: March 1, 2012 & July 6, 2012 (Measures only)
- Primary date: May 22, 2012
- General election date: November 6, 2012
| On the 2012 ballot | Click here for all November 6, 2012 Election Results | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senate | 
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Preview Article | |
| U.S. House (4 seats) | 
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| State Executives |
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N/A | |
| State Senate (35 seats) |
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Preview Article | |
| State House (100 seats) |
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| Ballot measures (4 measures) |
|
Preview Article | |
2012 Elections
For election results in the 50 states, see our November 6, 2012 election results page
Elections by type
| Members of the U.S. House from Arkansas -- Partisan Breakdown | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 1 | 0 | |
| Republican Party | 3 | 4 | |
| Total | 4 | 4 | |
| District | General Election Candidates | Incumbent | 2012 Winner | Partisan Switch? |
| 1st |  Scott Ellington  Rick Crawford Jacob Holloway Jessica Paxton |
Rick Crawford | Rick Crawford |
No |
| 2nd | Herb Rule Tim Griffin Barbara Ward Chris Hayes |
Tim Griffin | Tim Griffin |
No |
| 3rd | Steve Womack Rebekah Kennedy David Pangrac |
Steve Womack | Steve Womack |
No |
| 4th | Gene Jeffress Tom Cotton Joshua Drake Bobby Tullis |
Mike Ross | Tom Cotton |
Yes |
- See also: Arkansas State Senate elections, 2012
Heading into the election, Democrats maintain partisan control in the state senate.
| Arkansas State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 20 | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 15 | 21 | |
| Total | 35 | 35 | |
Heading into the election, Democrats maintain partisan control in the state house.
| Arkansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 54 | 49 | |
| Republican Party | 46 | 51 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
- See also: Arkansas 2012 ballot measures
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Issue 1 | Taxes | Would place a half-cent sales tax in the state. |
|
| LRCA | Issue 2 | Taxes | Authorize cities and counties to create districts for redevelopment projects. |
|
| CICA | Issue 3 | Gambling | Would allow for casinos in the state. | 
|
| CICA | Issue 4 | Gambling | Would allow for a casino in seven state counties. |
|
| CISS | Issue 5 | Marijuana | Authorize the use of medical marijuana in the state. |
|
- See also: Political recall efforts and Recall campaigns in Arkansas
Mayoral recalls
Arkansas will see the most recall action of any state on November 6, with six mayors facing recall. Voters will go to the polls to decide whether Tim McLellan of Kingsland, Ronnie Conley of Cotton Plant, Johnny McMahan of Bauxite, Paul Mitchell of Alexander, Tony Lawhon of Redfield, and Clinton Harris of Wilmot can keep their elected positions.[1][2][3]
Arkansas recall action in 2012
The six recall elections taking place on November 6 are the first recall elections to take place in Arkansas in 2012. Recall efforts against three other mayors, Jill Dabbs of Bryant, Jeff Crockett of Harrison, and Sheila Walters of Trumann, failed to make the ballot.
Eligibility to Vote
Primary election
- See also: Voting in the 2012 primary elections
Arkansas is one of 19 states to use an open primary system. When runoff elections are used, voters must vote in same party's runoff election as they voted for in the first round election. Voters had to register by April 23, 2012 to vote in the primary.[4] (Information about registering to vote)
General election
- See also: Voting in the 2012 general elections
The deadline to register to vote was 30 days prior to the election day, which in 2012 was October 8.[5]
- Voter ID info
- Residency requirements: Residing in Arkansas at least 30 days prior to the election[6]
- Same-day registration: None
Voting absentee
- See also: Absentee Voting
Eligibility
You are eligible to vote absentee in an election if you cannot make it to the polls on election day for one of the following reasons:
- you will be unavoidably absent from your polling site on election day, OR
- you will be unable to attend your polling site on election day due to illness or physical disability, OR
- you are a member of the U.S. armed forces, merchant marines or the spouse or a dependant family member, OR
- you are a U.S. citizen domiciled in Arkansas but temporarily living outside the territorial limits of the United States.
Deadlines
To vote absentee a request must be received at least 7 days prior to the election (by mail/fax) or the day before election (in person). The ballot must then be returned either in person by close of business the day before the election or by mail. If returned by mail, it must be received by 7:30pm on election day.
Military and overseas voting
For full details, visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program here.
Voting early
- See also: Early voting
Arkansas is one of 33 states that has early voting with no specific requirements as to who can vote early. Early voting begins 15 days before an election and ends on the day prior to election day. The average number of days prior to an election that voters can cast an early ballot is 21 days in states with a definitive starting date.
See also
References
- ↑ Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, "Three mayors facing rare recall action", August 8, 2012
- ↑ Cleveland County Herald, "Recall Election Set For Kingsland Mayor", August 8, 2012
- ↑ Arkansas Matters, "Redfield Mayor Faces Recall Election", August 8, 2012
- ↑ Arkansas Matters "Deadline: Register by Monday to Vote in Arkansas Primary," April 22, 2012
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State "2012 Election Calendar" Accessed May 7, 2012
- ↑ Arkansas Secretary of State "Voter Registration" Accessed May 7, 2012
