Issue 2: Right to Keep and Bear Arms Amendment (SJR 11)
Statewide — all of Arkansas
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- The 95th General Assembly referred this amendment to the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot as Senate Joint Resolution 11, proposed in the 2025 regular session by Sen. John Payton. The Senate adopted it 28-7 on April 10, 2025 and the House 86-10 on April 15, 2025, according to the Legislature's roll calls. If adopted, it is effective Jan. 1, 2027.[1][3][4]
The question on the ballot
A Constitutional Amendment to Amend Arkansas Constitution, Article 2, § 5, to Protect the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Ballot title: An amendment to the Arkansas Constitution to provide that the citizens of the state of Arkansas shall have the right to keep and bear arms for their common defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use, and for any other lawful purpose; providing that the right to keep and bear arms includes without limitation the possession and use of ammunition, firearm accessories, and firearm components; and providing that the right to keep and bear arms is a natural, fundamental, and individual right that shall not be infringed.[1]
Article 2, Section 5 currently says citizens have the right to keep and bear arms for their common defense. The amendment would extend the right to lawful hunting and recreational use and any other lawful purpose, specify that it includes without limitation the possession and use of ammunition, firearm accessories and firearm components, and describe it as a natural, fundamental and individual right that shall not be infringed.[1][2]
A YES vote means
A FOR vote means you are in favor of changing the state constitution to specify that the meaning of “right to keep and bear arms” includes the possession and use of ammunition, firearm accessories, and firearm components without limitation, and specifying that the right applies to lawful hunting, recreational use and other lawful purposes.
A NO vote means
An AGAINST vote means you are not in favor of changing the state constitution regarding the right to keep and bear arms. The existing language in Article 2, Section 5 would remain in place.
The law today
Article 2, Section 5 of the Arkansas Constitution currently reads: “The citizens of this State shall have the right to keep and bear arms, for their common defense.”[2]
Arguments made for
- Rep. Matt Duffield (R-Russellville), a co-sponsor, described the resolution during the 2025 session as a “moral check against tyranny” and said: “We see the same process playing out today in slow motion. Disarmament is the tyrant’s playbook.”[5]
Arguments made against
- None found in public sources.
On record in support
- Sen. John Payton (R-Wilburn), the resolution's sponsor.[1][4]
- Rep. Matt Duffield (R-Russellville), a co-sponsor of the resolution.[2][5]
- Go-AR for Issue 2, a committee listed as supporting Issue 2 in Arkansas Ethics Commission filings.[2]
- Scott County Republican Party Committee, listed as supporting Issue 2 in Arkansas Ethics Commission filings.[2]
On record in opposition
- None found in public sources.
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. No argument by a named supporter or opponent was found in a reputable source, so both argument lists are empty. The Public Policy Center page lists a registered support committee (Go-AR for Issue 2) and reports no opposition committee filed with the Arkansas Ethics Commission as of Oct. 1, 2026. The yes/no text is the Public Policy Center's explanation. Vote counts are from the Arkansas Legislature's roll calls (s4); sponsor and effective date are from the Secretary of State and Ballotpedia News. As of Oct. 1, 2026, the Public Policy Center reported no opposition committee. No named opponent's statement was found (seven senators voted against the resolution on April 10, 2025, but no explanation of their votes was located), so argumentsAgainst remains empty; the Public Policy Center lists unattributed opponent arguments, which are not quoted. Ethics Commission filing PDFs for Go-AR for Issue 2 could not be read (the server returned a bot-protection page, which was not bypassed), so no fundraising totals are given.
Sources · 5
Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.Issue No. 2 (SJR 11 of 2026 referral notice) · Arkansas Secretary of State Official record
- 2.Facts about Arkansas Ballot Issue 2 (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.SJR11 (2025 Regular Session): bill history and roll calls · Arkansas State Legislature · 2026-10-19 Official record
- 5.Arkansas Issues 1, 2 would address voting and gun rights with constitutional amendments · Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · 2026-10-04 News report