The Green Papers: Arkansas State and Local Government

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Governor:1
Senators: 2 (Electoral Classes 2 and 3)
2020 Census: 3,013,756 (0.91% of 331,797,979
- 2024, 2028 Electors: 6 (1.12% of 538)
- 2022-2030 Representatives: 4 (0.92% of 435)
2010 Census: 2,926,229 (0.94% of 309,785,186)
- 2012, 2016, 2020 Electors: 6 (1.12% of 538)
- 2012-2020 Representatives: 4 (0.92% of 435)
Capital: Little Rock

Current Arkansas Statewide Office Holders

Official Name/Status All States

The STATE of Arkansas
Status: STATE of the Union
Organized as a Territory: 2 March 1819. 3 Stat. 493: effective, 4 July 1819; previously, part of Missouri Territory
Admitted to the Union as a State: 15 June 1836 Enabling Act (5 Stat. 50) also served as Act of Admission. Supplementary Enabling Act adopted by Congress, 23 June 1836; accepted by Ordinance of the Arkansas General Assembly, 18 October 1836
The 25th state.

Traditional Sections and Regions All States

Section: SOUTH
Region: Upper ["Border"] South
Survey: Public Domain

Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions

Enabling Act (of the Congress of the United States): 15 June 1836 [5 Stat. 50: recognizing a State government already formed and admitting the State forthwith]
- 1st (1836-1864) [Adopted: 30 January 1836 Convention convened, 4 January 1836, Ratified: 30 January 1836 not submitted to the People; effective upon Admission, 15 June 1836
  [NOTE:The state Convention that adopted the Ordinance of Secession, 6 May 1861, also slightly amended this Constitution (by, for example, replacing the words "United States" with "Confederate States"), such amendments adopted on 22 May 1861 (and not submitted to the People for ratification). The State of Arkansas considers this 1861 revision to be a separate, 2nd, Constitution from that of 1836 and, thus, numbers all subsequent State Constitutions (those from 1864 on) one ahead of the numerical sequence as seen on this list. 'The Green Papers', however, considers the 1861 revisions to be a mere recodification of the 1836 document made in order to bring it into better conformity with the Constitution of the Confederate States of America]]
- 2nd (1864-1868) [Adopted: 19 January 1864 adopted by Mass Meeting assembled 4 January 1864, Ratified: 14 March 1864 ratified by vote of 12,177 to 266]
- 3rd (1868-1874) [Adopted: 11 February 1868 Convention convened, 7 January 1868, Ratified: 13 March 1868 ratified by vote of 27,913 to 26,597]
- 4th (1874-) [Adopted: 7 September 1874 Convention convened, 14 July 1874, Ratified: 13 October 1874]

Executive Branch All States

Chief Executive
- GOVERNOR
Successor to a Vacancy
- President of the State Senate (1836-1864) [under State's 1st Constitution: would merely become "acting Governor"; next in line of succession: Speaker of the State House of Representatives]
- Lieutenant Governor (1864-1874) [under State's 2nd and 3rd Constitutions: elected separately from Governor; next in line of succession: President (pro Tempore) of the Senate]
- President of the State Senate (1874-1914) [under State's 4th Constitution: would merely become "acting Governor"; next in line of succession: Speaker of the State House of Representatives]
- Lieutenant Governor (1914--) [via Amendment to the State's 4th Constitution: elected separately from GOVERNOR]

Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States
- Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
- Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Secretary of State: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
- Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Auditor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Commissioner of State Lands: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime

Legislative Branch All States

Legislature
- GENERAL ASSEMBLY (1819--) [as both a Territory and a State]

Upper House
- Legislative Council (1819-1836) [as a Territory]
- Senate (1836--)
Lower House
- House of Representatives (1819--) [as both a Territory and a State]

Judicial Branch All States

Court of Last Resort
- Supreme Court (1836--) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: State]
Intermediate Appellate Court
- Court of Appeals (1979--) Constitutional Court [IN: district FOR: State]

General Trial Jurisdiction
- Circuit Court (1836--) Constitutional Court [IN: circuit FOR: county]

Limited Jurisdiction
- Police Court (--2003) Statutory Court [FOR: municipality. Jurisdiction taken over by the District Court.]
- Municipal Court/Mayor's Court (--1971) Statutory Court [FOR: municipality]
- Justices of the Peace (1836-2001) Constitutional Court [IN: township FOR: township or county. Jurisdiction taken over by the District Court]
- County Court (1836-1868) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: county. Also functioned as the county governing body]
- Corporation Courts (1836--) Constitutional Court [FOR: municipality]
- Supervisors' Court (1868-1874) Statutory Court [FOR: county]
- County Court (1874-2003) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: county. Also functioned as the county governing body (in this capacity, known as the QUORUM COURT= justices of the peace of the county meeting with the county Judge; after 2001, the justices of the peace no longer exercised judicial functions and this also became true of the county Judge after 2003: however, the QUORUM COURT in this form still exists as the governing body of the county). Judicial jurisdiction taken over by the District Court.]
- Court of Common Pleas (1874-2001) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: county. Jurisdiction taken over by the District Court]
- City Court (1971--) Statutory Court [FOR: municipality]
- District Court (2001--) Statutory Court [IN: district FOR: county. Had been known as Municipal Court before taking over jurisdiction of Court of Common Pleas and Justice of the Peace Courts in 2001; also took over jurisdiction of County Court and Police Court in 2003]
Special Jurisdiction
- Court of Probate (1836-2001) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: county. Beginning in 2002, the jurisdiction of this court was taken over by the Circuit Court]
- Court of Chancery (1836-2001) Constitutional Court [IN: district FOR: county. Beginning in 2002, the jurisdiction of this court was taken over by the Circuit Court]

Local Government All States

PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
- County [Type: Strong, Executive: Judge (of County Court), Legislative: QUORUM COURT
  (= justices of the peace meeting with the county Judge)]
  - MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
    - township [Type: Vestigial, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure. The Arkansas township has traditionally been the electoral unit for, as well as the jurisdiction of, the Justice of the Peace (although, in practice, the jurisdiction of a given J.P. tends to extend throughout the county)]

Incorporated Municipalities All States
- City [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 500 +, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Aldermen;
  Commission;
  Board of Directors- Administrator OR Manager]
- Town [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): 499 -, Form(s) of government: Mayor/Aldermen]

Localities All States
- Arkansas Civil Divisions and Municipalities

Key Statewide / Federal Officials All States

Arkansas Officials

Statutory Election Information All States

General Election All States
- Tuesday next after 1st Monday in November of even-numbered years
  [AR Code 7-5-102]...
  (NOTE: AR Constitution- Article 3, Section 8- sets the General Election date as the 1st Monday of September "but the General Assembly may by law fix a different time"-- and, quite obviously, it has done so)
Presidential Primary All States
- (--2019) What the statutes call a "Preferential Primary Election" is required for the selection of delegates to any Party's quadrennial National Nominating Convention. [AR Code 7-8-201]...
  [NOTE: the clear implication being that the date of the resultant Presidential Primary would be the same as that of such a "Preferential Primary Election" as stated in AR Code 7-7-203(b). Hence, the "Preferential Primary Election" is held 3 weeks [AR Code 7-7-203(b)] prior to the 2nd Tuesday in June (for 2016, 3 weeks prior to the 4th Tuesday in March) "General Primary Election" [AR Code 7-7-203(a)].]
- (2019--) ... on the 1st Tuesday after the first Monday in March [AR Code 7-7-203(b)(2)].
State Primary All States
- (--2017) per AR Code 7-7-203(a), what the statutes call a "General Primary Election" is held on the 2nd Tuesday in June (for 2016, the 4th Tuesday in March) prior to the General Election.
  [NOTE: this is, in fact, what would normally be called a "Runoff Election"];
  per AR Code 7-7-203(b), what the statutes call a "Preferential Primary Election" is held exactly 3 weeks prior to the so-called "General Primary Election".
  [NOTE: this is, in fact, what would normally be called a "(First) Primary Election" in those States with Runoff Elections]
- (2017-2019) per AR Code 7-7-203(a), what the statutes call a "General Primary Election" is held on the 3nd Tuesday in June preceding the General Election. [NOTE: this is, in fact, what would normally be called a "Runoff Election"];
  per AR Code 7-7-203(b), what the statutes call a "Preferential Primary Election" is held exactly 4 weeks prior to the so-called "General Primary Election" [NOTE: this is, in fact, what would normally be called a "(First) Primary Election" in those States with Runoff Elections]
- (2019-2025) The preferential primary election shall be held on: For years in which the office of Governor will appear on the ballot ..., on the Tuesday 4 weeks before the general primary election; and For years in which the office of President of the United States will appear on the ballot ..., on the 1st Tuesday after the first Monday in March. [AR Code 7-7-203(b)(1)(2) NOTE: this is, in fact, what would normally be called a "(First) Primary Election" in those States with Runoff Elections.]
  The general primary election shall be held on: For years in which the office of Governor will appear on the ballot at the general election, on the 3rd Tuesday in June ...; and For years in which the office of President of the United States will appear on the ballot ..., on the Tuesday 4 weeks following the preferential primary election. [AR Code 7-7-203(a)(1)(2) NOTE: this is, in fact, what would normally be called a "Runoff Election".]
- (2025--) The preferential primary election shall be held on 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in March. NOTE: this is, in fact, what would normally be called a "(First) Primary Election" in those States with Runoff Elections.]
  The general primary election shall be held on the Tuesday 4 weeks following the preferential primary election. NOTE: this is, in fact, what would normally be called a "Runoff Election". [AR Code 7-7-203(a)(b)]
Polling times All States
- Polls open: 7:30 AM local time
  Polls close: 7:30 PM local time
  [AR Code 7-5-304]

Links Links to other web sites. These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes.

Constitution
- The Constitution of the State of Arkansas of 1874
Election Authority. All States
- Arkansas Secretary of State
Legislature. All States
Democratic
- The Democratic Party of Arkansas
Republican
- The Republican Party of Arkansas
Third Party
Media & others

State and Local Government Outline

Modified .