If you are not yet registered for the Nov. 3 general election in Union County, the window closes Monday, Oct. 5. The usual cutoff is 30 days before the election, which lands on Sunday, Oct. 4, so it rolls to the next business day. Register by close of business at the Union County Clerk’s Office.
Early voting. It opens Oct. 19 at the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium, 100 W. Eighth St. Hours are 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Oct. 19–23 and Oct. 26–30; 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31; and 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Nov. 2. On Election Day, county vote centers are open 7:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. A runoff, if needed, would be Dec. 1.
On the ballot. County voters will choose among races including county judge, mayors, city council seats, sheriff and justices of the peace. El Dorado voters will decide whether to allow off-premise alcohol sales on Sundays, and Strong voters will weigh a 1 percent city sales tax for economic development. Statewide, a proposed constitutional amendment on economic development districts is on the ballot.
Check your status. Election commission chairman and county election coordinator Mike Hayes urged people to vote early and said the only long line he recalls came on the last day of the 2024 presidential election. The clerk’s office is on the first floor of the courthouse, 101 N. Washington Ave., and can be reached at 870-864-1910. Address changes can be made by phone, but a name change requires an in-person visit. Registrations become inactive after three missed election cycles.
Sources: El Dorado News-Times (Sept. 28); Arkansas Secretary of State 2026 election calendar.
