Issue 1: The Citizens Only Voting Amendment (HJR 1018)
Statewide — all of Arkansas
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- The 95th General Assembly referred this amendment to the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot as House Joint Resolution 1018, proposed in the 2025 regular session by Rep. David Ray. The House adopted it 82-6 on April 7, 2025 and the Senate 27-0 on April 14, 2025, according to the Legislature's roll calls. If adopted, it is effective Jan. 1, 2027.[1][3][5]
The question on the ballot
A Constitutional Amendment to be Known as “The Citizens Only Voting Amendment” and Providing That Only a Citizen of the United States Meeting the Qualifications of an Elector Under the Arkansas Constitution May Vote in an Election in this State. Ballot title: An amendment to the Arkansas Constitution to create “The Citizens Only Voting Amendment”; to provide that only a citizen of the United States meeting the qualifications of an elector under the Arkansas Constitution may vote in an election in this state; and providing that a person who does not meet the qualifications of an elector under the Arkansas Constitution shall not be permitted to vote in any state or local election held in this state.[1]
The amendment rewrites Article 3, Section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution to state that only a citizen of the United States meeting the qualifications of an elector may vote in an election in the state, and that a person who does not meet those qualifications shall not be permitted to vote in any state or local election. The existing qualifications (U.S. citizen, Arkansas resident, at least 18, lawfully registered) and the photo ID provisions stay in place. The Public Policy Center notes that Arkansas has required U.S. citizenship to vote since Amendment 8 in 1920.[1][2]
A YES vote means
A FOR vote means you are in favor of changing the Arkansas Constitution to specifically say only U.S. citizens who satisfy the existing qualifications of an elector may vote in Arkansas elections, and that a person who doesn’t satisfy those requirements may not vote in a state or local election.
A NO vote means
An AGAINST vote means you are not in favor of changing Article 3 of the Arkansas Constitution about who can vote in Arkansas elections.
The law today
Article 3, Section 1 of the Arkansas Constitution currently says that, except as otherwise provided, any person may vote in an election in the state who is a citizen of the United States, a resident of Arkansas, at least 18 years of age, and lawfully registered to vote in the election. The University of Arkansas Public Policy Center notes that voters approved Amendment 8 in 1920, which has required U.S. citizenship to vote in state and local elections.[2]
Arguments made for
- Rep. David Ray, R-Maumelle, the sponsor, said: “This is a preventative measure, trying to keep those bad ideas from coming here.”[4]
- Secretary of State Cole Jester said: “In Arkansas our elections are just for citizens, but we feel so strongly about it we will write it into our constitution, not just on the state level, but on the municipal level.”[4]
Arguments made against
- The Democratic Party of Arkansas said in a statement quoted by KATV: “Rep. Ray's press conference didn't clock us as newsworthy, given that this issue is settled law in both Arkansas and under federal statute.”[4]
Research notes & limits
Arkansas publishes no official voter pamphlet with pro/con arguments. The University of Arkansas Public Policy Center voter guide lists supporter and opponent statements but does not attribute them to named people, so none are quoted here; arguments below are statements by named people or organizations reported by news outlets. Question text is the official popular name and ballot title as certified by the General Assembly and posted by the Secretary of State. No fiscal note was found. The Democratic Party statement is quoted as reported by KATV; it states the party's view that the issue is settled and does not address the amendment's merits further. KATV notes Rep. Ray acknowledged no Arkansas city has tried to allow noncitizen voting. Opponents' arguments reported elsewhere (that it is redundant and could prompt proof-of-citizenship legislation) came from unnamed opponents and are not quoted. Vote counts are from the Arkansas Legislature's roll calls (s5); sponsor and effective date are from the Secretary of State and Ballotpedia News. No fiscal note, committee finance filings or additional named opponents were found: per the Public Policy Center, as of Oct. 1, 2026 no group had registered with the Arkansas Ethics Commission to support or oppose Issue 1. The Democratic Party of Arkansas statement (KATV) calls the issue settled law but does not state opposition, so the party is not listed as an opponent.
Sources · 5
Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.Issue No. 1 (HJR 1018 of 2026 referral notice) · Arkansas Secretary of State Official record
- 2.Facts about Arkansas Ballot Issue 1 (2026 Arkansas Ballot Issues Voter Guide) · University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Public Policy Center Reference
- 3.Arkansas voters to decide on three constitutional amendments in 2026 · Ballotpedia News · 2025-04-18 Reference
- 4.Arkansas voters to decide Issue 1 on Nov. 3 to add citizens-only voting to Constitution · KATV · 2026-09-29 News report
- 5.HJR1018 (2025 Regular Session): bill history and roll calls · Arkansas State Legislature · 2026-10-19 Official record