Arkansas Secretary of State election, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Oct. 22 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 5
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required (preliminary injunction issued on April 26, 2018)
- Poll times: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
2022 →
← 2014
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| Arkansas Secretary of State |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 1, 2018 |
| Primary: May 22, 2018 Primary runoff: June 19, 2018 (if needed) General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent(s): Mark Martin (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voting in Arkansas |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
| Arkansas executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant governor |
Arkansas held an election for secretary of state on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 1, 2018.
For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
For more information about the Republican primary, click here.
For more information about secretary of state elections in 2018, click here.
| SETTING THE STAGE | |
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for Arkansas Secretary of State
John Thurston defeated Susan Inman and Christopher Olson in the general election for Arkansas Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | John Thurston (R) | 60.6 | 537,581 |
 | Susan Inman (D) | 36.5 | 323,644 | |
 | Christopher Olson (L)  | 2.9 | 25,320 | |
| Total votes: 886,545 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Arkansas Secretary of State
Susan Inman advanced from the Democratic primary for Arkansas Secretary of State on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Susan Inman |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Arkansas Secretary of State
John Thurston defeated Trevor Drown in the Republican primary for Arkansas Secretary of State on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Thurston | 52.6 | 100,794 |
 | Trevor Drown | 47.4 | 90,927 | |
| Total votes: 191,721 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Arkansas heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2016 elections, Republicans held both U.S. Senate seats in Arkansas.
- Republicans held all four U.S. House seats in Arkansas.
State executives
- As of September 2018, Republicans held six of 12 state executive positions. The remaining positions were officially nonpartisan.
- The governor of Arkansas was Republican Asa Hutchinson. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 6, 2018.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled both chambers of the Arkansas General Assembly. They had a 75-24 majority in the state House and a 25-9 majority in the state Senate.
Trifecta status
- Arkansas was a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party controlled the office of the governor, the state House, and the state Senate.
2018 elections
- See also: Arkansas elections, 2018
Arkansas held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- Four U.S. House seats
- Governor and lieutenant governor
- Five lower state executive positions
- 18 of 35 state Senate seats
- 100 state House seats
Demographics
| Demographic data for Arkansas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 2,977,853 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 52,035 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 78% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 15.5% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.4% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.9% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 84.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 21.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $41,371 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 22.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Arkansas. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
As of July 2016, Arkansas' three largest cities were Little Rock (pop. est. 198,606), Ft. Smith (pop. est. 88,037), and Fayetteville (pop. est. 85,257).[1][2]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Arkansas from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Arkansas Secretary of State.
Historical elections
Presidential elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Arkansas every year from 2000 to 2016.
| Election results (President of the United States), Arkansas 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Donald Trump |
60.6% | Hillary Clinton |
33.7% | 26.9% |
| 2012 | Mitt Romney |
60.6% | Barack Obama |
36.9% | 23.7% |
| 2008 | John McCain |
58.7% | Barack Obama |
38.9% | 19.8% |
| 2004 | George W. Bush |
54.3% | John Kerry |
44.6% | 9.7% |
| 2000 | George W. Bush |
51.3% | Al Gore |
45.9% | 5.4% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Arkansas from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), Arkansas 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | John Boozman |
59.8% | Conner Eldridge |
36.2% | 23.6% |
| 2014 | Tom Cotton |
56.5% | Mark Pryor |
39.4% | 22.9% |
| 2010 | John Boozman |
57.9% | Blanche Lincoln |
37.0% | 1.6% |
| 2008 | Mark Pryor |
79.5% |  Rebekah Kennedy(Green Party) |
20.5% | 59.0% |
| 2004 | Blanche Lincoln |
55.9% | Jim Holt |
44.1% | 11.8% |
| 2002 | Mark Pryor |
53.9% | Tim Hutchinson |
46.1% | 7.8% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Arkansas.
| Election results (Governor), Arkansas 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014 | Asa Hutchinson |
55.4% | Mike Ross |
46.3% | 9.1% |
| 2010 | Mike Beebe |
64.4% | Jim Keet |
33.6% | 30.8% |
| 2006 | Mike Beebe |
55.6% | Asa Hutchinson |
40.7% | 14.9% |
| 2002 | Mike Huckabee |
53.0% | Jimmie Lou Fisher |
46.9% | 6.1% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Arkansas in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
| Congressional delegation, Arkansas 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Republicans | Republicans (%) | Democrats | Democrats (%) | Balance of power |
| 2016 | 4 |
100% | 0 |
0% | R+4 |
| 2014 | 4 |
100% | 0 |
0% | R+4 |
| 2012 | 4 |
100% | 0 |
0% | R+4 |
| 2010 | 3 |
75% | 1 |
25% | R+3 |
| 2008 | 1 |
25% | 3 |
75% | D+3 |
| 2006 | 1 |
25% | 3 |
75% | D+3 |
| 2004 | 1 |
25% | 3 |
75% | D+3 |
| 2002 | 1 |
25% | 3 |
75% | D+3 |
| 2000 | 1 |
25% | 3 |
75% | D+3 |
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
Arkansas Party Control: 1992-2025
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas • Eleven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
One of 75 Arkansas counties—1.33 percent—is a Pivot County. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Woodruff County, Arkansas | 8.91% | 4.21% | 7.46% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Arkansas with 60.6 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 33.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Arkansas voted Democratic 66.67 percent of the time and Republican 30 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Arkansas voted Republican all five times.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Arkansas secretary of state election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
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Arkansas government: |
Elections: |
Ballotpedia exclusives: |
External links
Footnotes
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