Running for Office in Arkansas: First Steps
Important things to know as a potential candidate in Arkansas
Connect to your local democrats
Determine when you need to file additional financial disclosures
Develop a financial record-keeping system
Apply for an employer identification number (EIN)
Submit financial disclosures to the IRS if you’re a candidate for federal office
Stay out of Trouble
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW AS A POTENTIAL CANDIDATE IN Arkansas
- The Arkansas General Assembly consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Members of the House serve two-year terms and members of the Senate generally serve four-year terms. General Assembly members are limited to no more than 16 years of combined service in both chambers.
- Arkansas has 100 state representatives, 35 state senators, and four congressional districts. Find your legislative district here.
- Arkansas requires candidates for state and local office to be a resident of the district they wish to represent. Each federal, state, and local office has additional requirements for length of residency and minimum age. Be sure to check out the qualifications of office for the position you are looking to run for.
- Familiarize yourself with the following resources (where appropriate) published by the Arkansas Secretary of State:
- Running for Public Office Handbook [here]
- 2018 Election Calendar [here]
- Financial Disclosure Information [here]
- Terms & Qualifications for Public Office
- Federal Office
- Statewide Office
- General Assembly
- Judicial Office
- Prosecuting Attorney
- County and Township Office
- Municipal Office
- School Board
2. Become a candidate.
All candidates for federal, state, and local office must first file for candidacy. Filing requirements differ from office to office, so make sure to read through the links below to know how to get your campaign started. Contact the Secretary of State, the state Democratic Party, or your county Democratic Party Secretary for more information.
- Filing Procedures for Partisan Elections (Includes candidates for federal, statewide, General Assembly, county, township, and some municipal offices)
- Affidavit of Eligibility can be found here
- Candidate Information Form can be found here
- Political Practices Pledge can be found here
- Filing Procedures for Nonpartisan Elections (Includes candidates for judicial, prosecuting attorney, school board, and some municipal offices)
- Affidavit of Eligibility can be found here
- Statement of Candidacy can be found here
- Candidate Information Form can be found here
- Political Practices Pledge can be found here
- Filing Fees for Nonpartisan Elections (2016) can be found here
- Sample petitions for nonpartisan elections can be found here
For campaign finance purposes, you may be considered a candidate as soon as you begin receiving campaign contributions or making campaign expenditures even if you have not yet filed for candidacy. Make sure you are complying with campaign finance law early and always!
3. File your forms.
Candidates must file a Statement of Financial Interest for the previous calendar year on the first Monday following the close of the period to file as a candidate for office. More information on the Statement of Financial Interest can be found in the Running for Public Office Handbook. Copies of these forms can be found on the Arkansas Ethics Commission website.
In addition, candidates are required to file Campaign Contribution & Expenditure Reports once they have received contributions or made expenditures in excess of $500. Read through the Campaign Contribution & Expenditure Report section in the Running for Public Office Handbook for more information on what reports are required and when they must be filed. Copies of the form can be found on the Secretary of State website.
Candidates for state office should file their Statement of Financial Interest and Campaign Contribution and Expenditure Reports online with the Secretary of State, while candidates for county, municipal, township, or school board office should file with their County Clerk.
4. Campaign Finance Requirements.
Consult the Campaign Finance Training Guide and the Running for Public Office Handbook to understand your campaign finance requirements and learn more about keeping track of and filing your reports.
It is extremely important to keep up with campaign finance requirements and be on time with all filings. Be sure to reach out to the Secretary of State if you are unsure of any requirements.
5. Stay out of trouble.
Navigating election law can be confusing. Keep your campaign on a straight path and be sure to seek out help from the Secretary of State if you are unsure about anything. Review the Candidate FAQ and the penalties for filing late forms. Consult the full campaign law if needed. The Arkansas Ethics Commission offers office specific guides, information on campaign contribution limits, and other campaign training material that you should familiarize yourself with as needed.
Election laws are often re-worked and updated. Stay up to date on your candidate responsibilities!
6. Connect to your local Democrats.
The importance of being a known quantity to your local Democratic constituency and infrastructure cannot be overstated. Local Democratic voters and groups, whose votes you’ll ultimately need in your primary (if you have one) and general elections, will be far more likely to go to bat for you and provide support if you make a concerted, clear effort to connect with them and learn what local issues they believe are important. Make a list of your local Democratic groups, both entities chartered by the Party and independent local clubs, and reach out to them as early as possible.
Arkansas Democratic Party: http://arkdems.org/
7. Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
An EIN, also known as a federal tax identification number, formally identifies a corporation, partnership, political committee, and other entities for tax filing and reporting purposes. An EIN is needed to open a bank account. Submit an electronic application to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Make sure to select “Political Organization” when asked for the type of organization. Consult this guide from Minnesota’s Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board for more information.
8. Candidates for Federal Office: Submit financial disclosures to the IRS. Candidates for federal office (e.g., U.S. Representative or Senator) must file personal financial disclosure reports to the IRS within 30 days after they formally become a candidate or by May 15 of the same calendar year, whichever is later. Federal regulations state that an individual becomes a candidate for federal office when he or she (or a person authorized to do so) receives political contributions or makes expenses in excess of an aggregate amount of $5,000. See 11 C.F.R. § 100.3(a)(2).
9. Register with ActBlue.
An ActBlue account allows you to solicit and process online credit and debit card contributions from donors. ActBlue charges a 3.95% transaction fee for each contribution; this is generally an industry standard.
10. If you’re not sure, ask!
Contact the Secretary of State if you have any uncertainty, especially related to compliance with state law. The information here is far from complete or definitive.
11. Hit the ground running.
Running a political campaign can be an exceedingly time-consuming slog, no matter how many hands you have helping you along the way, so make sure that you always keep in mind why you’re running in the first place and what things you’d be able to do for your community if you won. Make sure to keep abreast of all early candidacy responsibilities and requirements!
Being a political candidate can be stressful, so don’t shy away from asking questions or seeking advice when you need to. If you have questions…
- Run for Something : hello@runforsomething.net
- Arkansas Democratic Party: (501) 374-2361
- Secretary of State – Elections Division: (501) 682-5070
- State Board of Election Commissioners: (501) 682-1834
Page of 7 www.runforsomething.net August 5th, 2017