How to Run for Office in Arkansas
A candidate filing guide from Campaign Partner, websites for candidates since 2011.
Your Campaign Website
When you file, your name becomes public and voters, reporters and donors will search for it. Have your website ready first - Campaign Partner sites are ready at signup, from $29/month, free domain name included.
Getting on the Ballot
Arkansas's filing calendar starts absurdly early: for an even-year election, the party filing period is a one-week, noon-to-noon window in early November of the preceding year, feeding an early-March primary. During that window, party candidates file a Political Practices Pledge (which includes a sworn certification of no felony convictions), an affidavit of eligibility, and the party certificate showing the party's filing fee is paid - state and district candidates with the Secretary of State, county, municipal, and township candidates with the county clerk. Forms are filed in duplicate.
Nonpartisan judicial candidates file during the same November window. Independent candidates file their notice of candidacy, political practices pledge, and affidavit of eligibility during that same November window (no party fee), then circulate petitions over a 90-day window and file the completed petitions with the Secretary of State or county clerk by the spring petition deadline published in the current state election calendar.
Party filing fees are set by the parties themselves and vary by office - check with your state party for the current schedule before the window opens.
Where Local Candidates File
The county clerk is the filing officer for county, municipal, and township candidates and the source for local fee and form details. Campaign finance is governed by the Arkansas Ethics Commission's rules, with reports filed through the state's online campaign finance disclosure system - register your committee and learn the reporting calendar at ethics.arkansas.gov before raising money.
Running for a local office? See what a school board, city council, mayor or county commissioner campaign website needs.
Worth Knowing
- The November-before deadline is the whole ballgame: an Arkansas candidate for a November general election must file a year earlier. More potential candidates miss this than any other rule in the state.
- The Political Practices Pledge's felony certification carries felony penalties if false - and a missed pledge triggers a certified-mail cure window measured in days.
- With the primary in early March, the real campaign season is December-February - plan for winter door-knocking.
Official Arkansas Resources
Filing deadlines, fees, and signature requirements change from cycle to cycle. Always confirm current details with the official sources below.
This page was last reviewed on August 4, 2026. Process details above are believed current as of that date; deadlines and fees should always be verified with your election office.