In a narrow election Tuesday, Arkansas voters rejected Issue 3, a statewide ballot measure that would have created economic development districts, according to Arkansas Advocate, the state’s largest nonprofit news outlet.
The website reported that the Arkansas Secretary of State’s website tallied 431,003 votes (50.7%) against the initiative, compared to the 419,186 votes (49.3%) against. The latest count was reported at 12:40 a.m., when 99% of the votes had been counted statewide, according to the Advocate’s reporting of Associated Press election coverage.
The U.S. Congress District 2 race — a Central Arkansas contest for the House of Representatives in which Democratic challenger Chris Jones trailed incumbent French Hill in a tight 49.1%-50.9% stranglehold — remained the only Arkansas race the AP had yet to call. Ninety-nine percent of the votes had been counted in that election as of 11:46 p.m. Tuesday, according to the AP.
The Associated Press declares a winner “only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap,” the Advocate reported on its website ahead of its election coverage.
How Clark County voted in the 2026 general election
The following are unofficial results from the Nov. 3, 2026, general election in Clark County, Arkansas. These tallies include results from early and absentee voting. Local percentages are rounded to the nearest tenth. Checkmarks (✅) denote final winners. NOTE: The Associated Press will declare winners in state and federal races, and our coverage will reflect those winners of races on local ballots.
U.S. Senate
Jeff Wadlin (L)
169
3%
Hallie Shoffner (D)
2,687
46%
✅ Tom Cotton (R)
3,025
51%
U.S. Congress District 4
James “Rus” Russell III (D)
2,469
43%
✅ Bruce Westerman (R)
3,338
57%
Arkansas Governor
✅ Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R)
2,823
48%
Fred Love (D)
2,528
43%
Colt Shelby (L)
520
9%
Arkansas Lieutenant Governor
✅ Leslie Rutledge (R)
2,409
62%
Michael Kalagias (L)
2,084
38%
Arkansas Secretary of State
✅ Kim Hammer (R)
3,118
53%
Kelly Grappe (D)
2,567
44%
Michael Pakko (L)
169
3%
Arkansas Public Lands Commissioner
Christopher Olson (L)
1,952
36%
✅ Cole Jester (R)
3,412
64%
Clark County Judge
Michael Ankton (D)
2,606
45%
✅ Bill Rogers (R)
3,243
55%
Clark County Justice of the Peace District 2
✅ Amber Bailey (D)
456
63%
Fred Phillips (R)
272
37%
Clark County Justice of the Peace District 3
Keith Crews (R)
87
32%
✅ Vanilla Nelson Hannah (D)
186
68%
Gurdon Mayor
John Thomas Free
104
27%
✅ Billy Tarpley
278
73%
Caddo Valley Mayor
✅ Joe Jackson
92
55%
Kyle Shelby
75
45%
Okolona Mayor
✅ Kimberly Harvey
20
65%
Kay Smith
11
35%
Issue 1: Require citizenship to vote
✅ For
3,836
67%
Against
1,849
33%
Issue 2: Expand firearm rights
✅ For
4,041
71%
Against
1,683
29%
Issue 3: Create economic development districts
For
2,605
46%
✅ Against
3,074
54%
Issue 4: Issue natural resources bonds
✅ For
2,892
51%
Against
2,748
49%
Nearly 6K Clark County voters cast a ballot; Democrats voted early
A combined 5,921 voters in Clark County punched a ballot in the 2026 midterm election, including early voting and absentee figures.
That is 44.86% of the county’s 13,198 registered voters.
Early voting results indicated local victories for Democrat candidates Hallie Shoffner (U.S. Senate), Fred Love (Arkansas Governor) and Kelly Grappe (Arkansas Secretary of State). The odds, however, would not be in their favor in the total count.
Clark County punches red ticket
Clark County voters supported Republicans in all federal and state contests during the 2026 midterms.
On the local level, Democrats retained two seats that were up for grabs on the Clark County Quorum Court. Incumbent Vanilla Nelson Hannah handily defeated Republican challenger Keith Crews for the District 3 position, earning 68% of the 273 votes cast in that precinct. Democrat Amber Bailey soundly defeated Republican Fred Phillips for the District 2 seat, which was vacated by Michael Ankton who ran an unsuccessful bid for county judge. Bailey secured 63% of the votes in that election.
The following is previous coverage from the election. The tallies below are included in the total results above.
Early Voting results for Clark County
The following are unofficial results for early and absentee voting from the Nov. 3, 2026, general election in Clark County, Arkansas. These numbers are not the final unofficial results, which will be announced once all precincts are tallied.
U.S. Senate
Jeff Wadlin (L)
94
Hallie Shoffner (D)
1,974
Tom Cotton (R)
1,791
U.S. Congress District 4
James “Rus” Russell III (D)
1,825
Bruce Westerman (R)
1,992
Arkansas Governor
Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R)
1,694
Fred Love (D)
1,838
Colt Shelby (L)
328
Arkansas Lieutenant Governor
Leslie Rutledge (R)
2,047
Michael Kalagias (L)
1,522
Arkansas Secretary of State
Kim Hammer (R)
1,847
Kelly Grappe (D)
1,899
Michael Pakko (L)
100
Arkansas Public Lands Commissioner
Christopher Olson (L)
1,418
Cole Jester (R)
2,050
Clark County Judge
Michael Ankton (D)
1,870
Bill Rogers (R)
1,968
Clark County Justice of the Peace District 2
Amber Bailey (D)
375
Fred Phillips (R)
207
Clark County Justice of the Peace District 3
Keith Crews (R)
56
Vanilla Nelson Hannah (D)
133
Gurdon Mayor
John Thomas Free
31
Billy Tarpley
115
Caddo Valley Mayor
Joe Jackson
54
Kyle Shelby
44
Okolona Mayor
Kimberly Harvey
10
Kay Smith
1
Issue 1
For
2,342
Against
1,380
Issue 2
For
2,469
Against
1,276
Issue 3
For
1,660
Against
2,053
Issue 4
For
1,861
Against
1,835
The headline for this article will change once we publish final, unofficial results. Check back later for those final results from local precincts.
2 local polls still open
Polling locations at Gurdon and the Arkadelphia Recreation Center remained open after 7:30 p.m., as voters were still in line, Clark County Clerk Tracy Pruitt said about 15 minutes after polls were to officially close.
2026 election in Clark County
Clark Countians are voting Tuesday in the 2026 midterm election. After polls close at 7:30 p.m., arkadelphian.com will provide the latest coverage of local results.
We will await results as they are delivered to and tabulated at the Clark County District Courtroom, and publish results as they are announced. Here, you will find local results for federal, state, county and municipal contests.
Results from early voting and absentee ballots are typically called out about 30 minutes after polls close. Final results will take longer — sometimes hours — as they are brought in from Vote Centers located throughout Clark County.
The headline for this article will change once we publish results from early voting tabulations. Check back later for those results from local precincts.
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