VOTER ISSUES PROJECT

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Request Your Absentee Ballot

Download the Absentee Ballot Application and print out your own copy here.

Or, Call your county clerk and ask them to mail you an “absentee ballot request form.” It’s easy!

Complete the form thoroughly.

Cick to enlarge

Print in black ink, clearly and neatly.

If you’re voting absentee due to COVID19, just check off because

“I will be unavoidably absent from my polling location.”

Under “I Request the Appropriate Ballot for the Following Elections,” check the option for

“General Election/Nonpartisan Runoff & General Election Runoff”

Notice there are a lot of questions on the form. This is important so the clerk can properly handle your request.

Let’s go step by step through the application form.

  1. Fill in the info for your county clerk and the date you’re filling out the form.

  2. You will give a reason for the ballot request by checking a box:

    • You will be unavoidably absent from your polling site on Election Day. 
      (choose this if you’re voting absentee due to public health concerns.)

    • You will be unable to attend the polls on Election Day because of illness or physical disability.

    • You reside in a long-term care or residential facility licensed by the state.

  3. You will check a box to say where you reside:

    • Working out of state

    • Traveling out of the US

    • Attending school out of your county of residence

    • Active members military or military family

  4. You will name the election (or elections) for which you want to receive an absentee ballot.

    Note: some elections will require a party selection. This is because in a preferential primary election voters can vote in only one, not both party primaries, so the voter must choose.

  5. You will say how you want to receive your absentee ballot, pick up or mail, and if mailed, where to send it. There is also an option for a designated bearer to pick up your ballot.

    Note: Email ballots are available only to voters eligible under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). 

  6. And last, but most important, you must certify all the information is correct, sign your name, fill in address and date of birth info.

This application, once filled out, can be mailed, emailed, or delivered to the Arkansas County Clerk’s office in your county of residence.

There are deadlines to submit an absentee ballot application, too. The clerk must receive mailed applications seven days before the election; hand delivered applications must be received the day before Election Day.

That’s it!

Put these items into the return envelope, add proper postage, and put it in the mail. Be sure to mail it back at least a week before Election Day.

You can return the ballot packet by mail or in person.

Look for your general election ballot in your mailbox in October!

For more detailed information about receiving an absentee ballot and returning it, visit the Arkansas Secretary of State website.


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