Craighead County residents heading to the polls for the general election must bring a valid photo ID to vote, according to officials.
Acceptable forms of photo identification include an Arkansas driver’s license, a state-issued ID, or a U.S. passport. Polls across the county will open Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.
Craighead County Clerk Mary Dawn Marshall confirmed that voters who are already in line at 7:30 p.m. will still be allowed to cast their ballot, no matter how long the process takes. "As long as they’re in line at 7:30, they’re allowed to vote," she emphasized. "But they have to be in line at 7:30."
College students temporarily residing in Craighead County may also vote locally if their voter registration is updated. "If it’s a college student that wants to vote, they would have to transfer their voter registration to Craighead County to the address that they live at now," Marshall explained. "But that can be done at that time. If they check their VoterView before they come, they’ll have all the information that they need to tell the poll worker."
Marshall also issued a reminder about campaign-related materials, noting that election laws prohibit campaign gear within 100 feet of any polling site. Wearing items like hats, buttons, or shirts displaying political messaging violates this rule, and poll workers are required to ask voters to remove or cover any such items. Violating the law is classified as a Class A misdemeanor, carrying penalties of up to a year in jail.
Unlike precinct-based voting systems, Craighead County utilizes 14 vote centers, allowing residents to cast their ballots at any location regardless of their address within the county.
For further questions or information, residents are encouraged to contact the county clerk’s office.