AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Arkansas on Election Day

By CHRIS RUGABER The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — After voting for favorite son Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996, Arkansas has since awarded its Electoral College votes to the Republican presidential candidate in every general election. Republican former President Donald Trump aims to win the state for a third time, having claimed Arkansas with more than 60% of the vote in the past two elections.

Also on the ballot: all four of the state’s members of Congress, Republicans who easily won their races in 2022 and are seeking reelection this year.

Arkansas does have a “blue dot” around Little Rock, which voted 60% for Democratic President Joe Biden in 2020. Biden also won six counties in eastern Arkansas along the Mississippi River with heavy African-American populations. In Washington County, near the headquarters of Tyson Foods and Walmart, and which includes part of the city of Springdale, the presidential election was close — but Trump still won by four points.

An abortion rights measure won’t be on the ballot this year after the state Supreme Court upheld a state agency’s finding that the group supporting the measure didn’t properly submit documentation regarding its signature gatherers.

The Associated Press doesn’t make projections and will declare a winner only when it has determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race hasn’t been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, like candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear it hasn’t declared a winner and explain why.

Here’s a look at what to expect in the 2024 election in Arkansas:

Election Day

Nov. 5.

Poll closing time

8:30 p.m. ET.

Presidential electoral votes

6 awarded to statewide winner.

Key races and candidates

President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Robert Kennedy Jr. (Independent) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian) vs. Jill Stein (Green) and two others.

Other races of interest

U.S. House, ballot measures, state Supreme Court, state Senate, state House and treasurer.

Past presidential results

2020: Trump (R) 62%, Biden (D) 35%, AP race call: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, 8:30 p.m.

Voter registration and turnout

Registered voters: 1,823,014 (as of Oct. 15, 2024).

Voter turnout in Nov. 2020: 67% of registered voters.

Pre-Election Day voting

Votes cast before Election Day 2020: about 78% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2022: about 56% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2024: See AP Advance Vote tracker.

How long does vote-counting take?

First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 8:38 p.m. ET.

By midnight ET: about 79% of total votes cast were reported.

___

Associated Press writers Rebecca Reynolds and Maya Sweedler contributed to this report.

___

Read more about how U.S. elections work at Explaining Election 2024, a series from The Associated Press aimed at helping make sense of the American democracy. The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.