Arkansas 2026 ballot measures
As of October 4, 2025, four statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in Arkansas in 2026.
On the ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creation of Economic Development Districts Amendment | Local government; Local government; Economic investment | Allow the legislature to create programs, including Economic Development Districts, and make loans and grants of public money to develop the state economy | |
| Citizenship Requirement for Voting Amendment | Citizenship voting | Provide that only U.S. citizens may vote in state or local elections | |
| Natural Resources Commission Bond Measure | Flood infrastructure; Storm infrastructure; Irrigation; Sewage and stormwater; Parks; Pollution; Bonds | Authorize the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to issue up to $500 million in general obligation bonds to fund water-related infrastructure projects including water treatment and transportation, waste disposal, pollution abatement, drainage, irrigation, flood control, and wetlands and aquatic resources infrastructure | |
| Right to Keep and Bear Arms Amendment | Constitutional rights; Firearms | Create a right to keep and bear arms without limitation on the possession and use of ammunition, firearm accessories, or firearm components |
Potential measures
| Type | Title | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| CICA | Initiative and Referendum Process Amendment | Direct democracy measures | Provide for the statewide initiative and referendum in the state constitution including requirements for submitting a proposal, providing for a 45-day period where a proposed measure may be challenged in the state supreme court, prohibits the state legislature from altering or repealing voter-approved constitutional amendments, providing that any constitutional provisions or statutes that are inconsistent or conflict with the proposal are void, and requiring any amendments to the section to be proposed by citizen initiative |
| CICA | Right to Government Transparency Initiative | Government accountability | Creates a constitutional right to government transparency, defined as "the government's obligation to share information with citizens or to deliver information to citizens" and requires voter approval for laws concerning government transparency |
| CICA | Establish Educational Standards for Schools Receiving Public Funding Initiative | Education | Establishes educational standards for schools receiving public funding; requires public and private schools that receive state or local public funding to adhere to the same standards for accreditation and assessments |
| CICA | Create a Fundamental Right to Initiative and Referendum Amendment | Initiative and referendum process | Make changes to Article 5, Section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution, which governs the initiative and referendum process in the state |
| CISS | Exempt Feminine Hygiene Products and Diapers from Sales Tax Initiative | Taxes | Exempts feminine hygiene products and diapers for children and adults from state sales and use tax |
Getting measures on the ballot
Citizens of Arkansas may initiate legislation as either a state statute or a constitutional amendment. In Arkansas, citizens also have the power to repeal legislation via veto referendum. The Arkansas State Legislature may also place measures on the ballot as legislatively referred constitutional amendments or legislatively referred state statutes. The Arkansas Legislature can only refer up to three constitutional amendments to the ballot each election year.[1]
Signature requirements
Signature requirements in Arkansas differ between statutory initiatives, constitutional amendments, and veto referendums. For an initiated constitutional amendment, signatures equal to at least 10 percent of the total number of votes cast for the office of governor in the last gubernatorial election are required. For an initiated state statute, signatures equal to at least 8 percent of this total are required. For veto referendums, signatures equal to at least 6 percent of this total are required. The following are signature requirements for initiatives in Arkansas for 2026:
- Initiated constitutional amendments: 90,704 valid signatures
- Initiated state statutes: 72,563 valid signatures
- Veto referendums: 54,422 valid signatures
Signatures for initiated statutes and amendments needed to be submitted by July 3, 2026—four months prior to the election.
Signatures for veto referendums must be submitted 90 days after the final adjournment of the legislative session during which the targeted bill was passed.
Not on the ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Ballot Title Readability Amendment (SB 569) | Direct democracy measures | Requires ballot titles to be "readable, clear, and concise", limits ballot titles to 500 words, and allows the state legislature to enact laws providing for a standard for ballot title readability | 
|
Historical facts
In Arkansas, a total of 48 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 2000 and 2022. Thirty-two ballot measures were approved, and 16 ballot measures were defeated.
| Arkansas statewide ballot measures, 2000-2022 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Annual average | Annual minimum | Annual maximum | Approved | Defeated | ||
| # | % | # | % | ||||
Ballot initiative certification rates
The following table shows the rate of certification for ballot initiatives in Arkansas between 2010 and 2022:
| Arkansas statewide ballot initiatives filed and certified, 2010-2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Ballot initiatives filed | Certified | |
| # | % | ||
| Averages | |||
See also
- 2026 ballot measures
- List of Arkansas ballot measures
- History of Initiative & Referendum in Arkansas
- Laws governing the initiative process in Arkansas
- Arkansas State Legislature
External links
