Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
1 State of Arkansas A Bill
2 95th General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 608
4
5 By: Senator M. Johnson
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8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING RUNOFF ELECTIONS
10 FOR COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL OFFICERS; AND FOR OTHER
11 PURPOSES.
12
13
14 Subtitle
15 TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING RUNOFF
16 ELECTIONS FOR COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL
17 OFFICERS.
18
19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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21 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 7-5-106(a), concerning runoff elections for
22 county and municipal officers, is amended to read as follows:
23 (a)(1) If there are more than two (2) candidates for election to any
24 county elected office or a municipal office, including the office of justice
25 of the peace, at any general election held in this state and no candidate for
26 the county elected office or municipal office receives a majority of the
27 votes cast for the county elected office or municipal office, there shall be
28 a runoff general election held in that county or municipality four (4) weeks
29 following the date of the general election at which the names of the two (2)
30 candidates receiving the highest number of votes, but not a majority, shall
31 be placed on the ballot to be voted upon by the qualified electors of the
32 county or the municipality.
33 (2)(A) The following procedure will govern if there are more
34 than two (2) candidates for election to any municipal office at any general
35 election held in this state in which no candidate for the municipal office
36 receives either:
*SSS278* 04/02/2025 10:33:12 AM SSS278
SB608
1 (i) A majority of the votes cast; or
2 (ii) A plurality of forty percent (40%) of the votes
3 cast.
4 (B)(i) A candidate who receives a plurality of forty
5 percent (40%) of the votes cast must obtain at least twenty percent (20%)
6 more of the votes cast than the second-place candidate for the municipal
7 office to avoid a runoff general election against the second-place candidate.
8 (ii) If required, the runoff general election
9 between the two (2) candidates shall be held in that municipality four (4)
10 weeks following the date of the general election with the names of the two
11 (2) candidates placed on the ballot to be voted upon by the qualified
12 electors of the municipality.
13
14 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 7-5-106(d), concerning runoff elections for
15 county and municipal officers, is amended to read as follows:
16 (d) If one (1) of the two (2) candidates who received the highest
17 number of votes for a county elected office or a municipal office but not a
18 majority of the votes in a county for a county elected office or either a
19 majority or both forty percent (40%) of the votes cast and at least twenty
20 percent (20%) more of the votes cast than the second-place candidate in a
21 municipality for a municipal office in the general election withdraws before
22 certification of the result of the general election, the remaining candidate
23 who received the most votes at the general election shall be declared elected
24 to the county elected office or municipal office and there shall be no runoff
25 general election.
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2 04/02/2025 10:33:12 AM SSS278Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.