LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas voters face a wide-ranging slate of constitutional amendments on the upcoming general election ballot, including measures on voting eligibility, the right to bear arms, and economic development. A public works bond issue is also on the ballot.
Issue 1: Defining Who is Eligible to Vote in Arkansas
This proposed constitutional amendment would explicitly state that only United States citizens who meet Arkansas’s existing voter qualifications may vote in any state or local election. It restates current requirements for electors, including citizenship, Arkansas residency, age 18 or older, and lawful voter registration, and reinforces the state’s voter ID rules for both in person and absentee voting.
The amendment maintains provisions for issuing free state photo IDs to eligible voters and outlines how provisional ballots are handled when ID is not presented.
Issue 2: The Right to Keep and Bear Arms
This proposed constitutional amendment would revise Article 2, Section 5 of the Arkansas Constitution to broaden and reinforce the right to keep and bear arms. It specifies that citizens have this right not only for common defense but also for hunting, recreational use, and any other lawful purpose.
The amendment clarifies that the right includes possessing and using ammunition, firearm accessories, and firearm components. It also declares the right to keep and bear arms as a natural, fundamental, and individual right that “shall not be infringed.”
Issue 3: Economic Development Districts
This proposal would amend the Arkansas Constitution to give the General Assembly broad new authority to support economic development across the state. It would allow lawmakers to create Economic Development Districts within cities, counties, or multi-county regions, and permit those districts to issue bonds, levy certain charges, and receive public funds for development projects.
The amendment would allow public money, including loans and grants, to be used for a wide range of economic purposes such as reducing unemployment, expanding transportation and commerce, and improving or developing real estate tied to economic growth. Economic development districts created under this authority could finance projects and issue bonds without being subject to the state’s existing constitutional debt limits.
Local governments would also be allowed to provide funding or lend credit to these districts, an exception to current prohibitions on aiding private entities. The amendment revises definitions of “economic development projects,” “services,” and “infrastructure,” expanding eligible uses to include manufacturing facilities, corporate headquarters, sports complexes, industrial parks, and more.
Property located within an economic development district would be exempt from most taxes, except those levied by the district itself. The amendment also clarifies that bonds backed by property taxes for economic development must still be approved by local voters.
Finally, the measure gives the amendment priority over any conflicting constitutional provisions and includes a severability clause.
Issue 4: Water, Waste Disposal and Pollution Abatement Bonds
Citizens will also vote to authorize up to $500 million in state-backed bonds to support a wide range of water-related public works projects, including flood control, irrigation, drainage, waste disposal, and wetlands restoration.
