Arkansas Secretary of State

	Arkansas Secretary of State
	; ; ;
	General information
Office Type:	Partisan
Office website:	Official Link
Compensation:	$101,323
2025 FY Budget:	$44,611,494
Term limits:	2 terms
	Structure
Length of term:	4 years
Authority:	Constitution of Arkansas, Amendment 63, Article 6
Selection Method:	Elected
	Current Officeholder(s)
	Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester; Republican Party; Assumed office: January 1, 2025
	Elections
Next election:	November 3, 2026
Last election:	November 8, 2022
	Other Arkansas Executive Offices
	Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Commissioner of State Lands • Natural Resources Exec. Director • Labor Director • Public Service Commission

The Arkansas Secretary of State has jurisdiction over state election laws, ensuring uniform implementation throughout the state. The secretary of state also qualifies statewide and state district candidates and ballot initiatives, and provides voter education products and services. In addition to his or her election-related responsibilities, the incumbent registers businesses in the state and keeps the state capitol grounds.^[1]

Arkansas has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

Current officeholder

The current Arkansas Secretary of State is Cole Jester (R). Jester assumed office in 2025.

Authority

The office of secretary of state is established by Amendment 63 to Article 6 of the Arkansas Constitution.^[2]

Constitution of Arkansas, Amendment 63

The Executive Department of this State shall consist of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, Attorney General and Commissioner of State Lands, all of whom shall keep their offices at the seat of government, and hold their offices for the term of four (4) years, and until their successors are elected and qualified.

Qualifications

The Arkansas Constitution requires all elected or appointed officeholders to be an elector. That is, they must fulfill the state's voter registration requirements -- being a U.S. citizen, a resident of Arkansas, at least 18 years old. Felons and citizens judged to be mentally incompetent by a court are also ineligible to vote and, by extension, to hold office.

Other requirements to complete a voter registration form -- essentially, qualifications to be an elector -- are given by Amendment 59, Section 6 of the constitution.

Incumbents may not hold any other state, federal, or civil office, and may not have ever been convicted of "embezzlement of public money, bribery, forgery, or other infamous crime."

Constitution of Arkansas, Article 19, Section 3

No persons shall be elected to, or appointed to fill a vacancy in, any office who does not possess the qualifications of an elector.

Constitution of Arkansas, Article 5, Section 9

No person hereafter convicted of embezzlement of public money, bribery, forgery or other infamous crime, shall be eligible to the General Assembly or capable of holding any office of trust or profit in this State.

Constitution of Arkansas, Amendment 51, Section 6

(6) The mail voter registration application form shall include the following questions along with boxes for the applicant to check "yes" or "no" in response:
(A) "Are you a citizen of the United States of America and an Arkansas resident?;"
(B) "Will you be eighteen (18) years of age on or before election day?;"
(C) "Are you presently adjudged mentally incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction?;"
(D) "Have you ever pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to, or found guilty of a felony without your sentence having been discharged or pardoned?;" and
(E) "Do you claim the right to vote in another county or state?."
(7) The mail voter registration application form shall include the following statements immediately following the questions asked in subdivision (a)(6) of this section:
(A) "If you checked "No" in response to either questions A or B, do not complete this form.;"
(B) "If you checked "Yes" in response to one or more of questions C, D, or E, do not complete this form.;" and

Elections

Arkansans elect their secretary of state for four-year terms during federal midterm election years (2006, 2010, 2014, etc.). Secretaries of state, like all Arkansas executives, served two year terms until 1982, when Amendment 63 to the Constitution of Arkansas increased the term length to its current level. The first elections held under the new system occurred in 1986, and every four years since.^[3]

Term limits

Term limits for the secretary of state are defined by Amendment 73 to the Arkansas Constitution, which prohibits a secretary of state from serving more than two terms.

Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 73-1:

1. Executive Branch.

(a) The Executive Department of this State shall consist of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, Attorney General, and Commissioner of State Lands, all of whom shall keep their offices at the seat of government, and hold their offices for the term of four years, and until their successors are elected and qualified.
(b) No elected officials of the Executive Department of this State may serve in the same office more than two such four year terms.

2022

See also: Arkansas Secretary of State election, 2022

General election

General election for Arkansas Secretary of State

Incumbent John Thurston defeated Anna Beth Gorman in the general election for Arkansas Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John Thurston (R)	67.0	600,194
	Anna Beth Gorman (D)	33.0	294,970

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 895,164
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Arkansas Secretary of State

Anna Beth Gorman defeated Joshua Price in the Democratic primary for Arkansas Secretary of State on May 24, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Anna Beth Gorman	58.6	52,762
	Joshua Price	41.4	37,280

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 90,042
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Arkansas Secretary of State

Incumbent John Thurston defeated Eddie Joe Williams in the Republican primary for Arkansas Secretary of State on May 24, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	John Thurston	72.1	236,974
	Eddie Joe Williams	27.9	91,721

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 328,695
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Mark Lowery (R)