Arkansas early vote hits 459,941, up 17.3% from 2022

Arkansas voters cast 459,941 early or absentee ballots through Thursday, October 29, according to Turnout Tracker. This figure represents a 17.3% increase compared to the 392,063 ballots cast during the same period in the 2022 midterm election. The current total equals roughly 24.9% of the state's 1.85 million registered voters. Of the total ballots, 451,762 were cast in person and 8,179 were submitted absentee.

Turnout varies by county in the state's west. Sebastian County recorded 16,130 early and absentee votes through Thursday. This number is 13.5% higher than the 14,208 recorded in 2022. The figure represents 22.2% of the county's 72,691 registered voters. In person voting accounted for 15,863 of those ballots, while 267 were absentee. The 2022 midterm election saw 34,601 total ballots in Sebastian County, meaning this year's early vote is currently about 47% of that total.

Crawford County shows a much slower pace. The county recorded 7,236 early and absentee votes through Thursday, a 1.7% increase over the 7,116 cast in 2022. This total is 19.9% of Crawford County's 36,320 registered voters. Most of these ballots were cast in person, with 7,123 in-person votes and 113 absentee votes. The 2022 midterm election produced 18,080 total ballots in Crawford County, so the current early vote is about 40% of that figure.

The growth rate has slowed as the voting period has progressed. After nine days, statewide participation was 19.2% ahead of 2022 levels. By the end of day ten, that gap narrowed to 17.3%. Sebastian County saw a similar trend, with its increase dropping from 14.9% to 13.5%. Crawford County's increase narrowed from 1.9% to 1.7% over the same timeframe. Turnout Tracker notes that these figures are preliminary and may change as counties update their records.

Age demographics show a shift toward older voters. Statewide, voters 65 and older account for 48.5% of early ballots, up from 45.9% in 2022. The 50 to 64 age group represents 25.8% of the vote, down from 29.8%. Younger voters have seen slight increases in their share. Those aged 18 to 24 account for 4% of the statewide early vote, compared to 2.8% in 2022. The 25 to 34 age group accounts for 6.6%, up from 5.9%.

In Sebastian County, voters 65 and older represent 51% of early ballots, a rise from 49.6% in 2022. The 50 to 64 group holds 25.4% of the share, down from 29.6%. Younger voters in Sebastian County have increased their participation. The 18 to 24 group accounts for 4.2% of ballots, up from 2.8%. The 25 to 34 group accounts for 6.3%, up from 5%.

Crawford County shows the highest concentration of older voters. Those 65 and older account for 54.8% of early ballots, up from 48.9% in 2022. The 50 to 64 group declined from 31.3% to 26.8%. The 18 to 24 group accounts for 2.8% of ballots, compared to 2.3% in 2022. The 25 to 34 group remains steady at 4.3%.

Frequent voters dominate the early voting numbers. Statewide, they account for 83.7% of early ballots, compared to about 81% in 2022. Infrequent voters represent 10% of the total, while new voters account for 6.3%, down from 9.6% in 2022. In Sebastian County, frequent voters make up 83.5% of the early vote. In Crawford County, they represent 86.3% of early ballots, the highest share among the three comparisons.

Voting continues through Monday, November 2. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, October 30, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 31. The final day of early voting is Monday, November 2, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with voting hours from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.