When is the Arkansas annual school board election held, and how much advance notice does the public get?
Plain-English summary
State Representative Trey Steimel asked the AG two questions about how recent legislation affects Arkansas school-district elections.
When is the annual school board election? Under A.C.A. § 6-14-102(a)(1)(A), as amended by Act 503 of 2025:
- Even-numbered years: the election is held on "the date of the preferential primary election," which is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March (A.C.A. § 7-7-203(b)).
- Odd-numbered years: the election is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March. If that date is a state holiday, the election shifts to the third Tuesday of March.
How much notice does the public get? Section 7-5-202, as amended by Act 487 of 2025, requires three layers of notice for school elections:
- Newspaper notice at least 8 days before early voting begins, in a paper of general circulation in the county, with the election date and other required information.
- Newspaper republication at least 5 days before the election in a paper of general circulation in the county.
- Polling-site posting at least 5 days before (permissive) and mandatory polling-site posting on election day, continuously until the polls close.
For multi-county school districts, the notice must appear in newspapers of general circulation in each county where the district has territory (A.C.A. § 6-14-109(b)).
What this means for you
If you are running for school board
Calendar the March election date and the publication deadlines. Newspaper notices give you and the public the official cue for when ballots are about to drop. Coordinate with the county board of election commissioners early.
If you are a school district administrator
Confirm with your county election commissioners that they will run the required newspaper and polling-site notices on time. Multi-county districts need to verify that each county's commissioner publishes in each county.
If you are a parent or community member tracking the election
Watch for two newspaper notices: one at least 8 days before early voting starts, another at least 5 days before election day. On election day, the notice will be posted at each polling site continuously while polls are open.
Common questions
Q: What changed under Act 503 of 2025?
A: The timing of annual school board elections changed to consolidate odd-year and even-year election dates around the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March, with a state-holiday backup to the third Tuesday in odd years.
Q: What changed under Act 487 of 2025?
A: The public-notice structure for elections (including school elections) was reorganized to require explicit newspaper notice at least 8 days before early voting plus republication 5 days before the election, with mandatory polling-site posting on election day.
Q: What information must the newspaper notice include?
A: The specific election date, hours of voting on election day, early voting dates and places, the polling sites, the candidates and offices to be elected, the time and location of ballot opening/canvassing/counting, the location of officials lists, and how to object to election official appointments.
Q: What about districts that span multiple counties?
A: For multi-county districts where one county board of commissioners conducts the election but the district also has territory in counties whose boards do not, A.C.A. § 6-14-109(b) requires the notice of election to be published in one or more newspapers of general circulation in each of the counties where the district has territory.
Citations and references
Statutes:
- A.C.A. § 6-14-102
- A.C.A. § 7-5-202
- Act 503 of 2025
- Act 487 of 2025
Source
Official summary
Question 1: Under current Arkansas law, when can the annual school board election lawfully occur or be conducted?
Brief Response: Under A.C.A. § 6-14-102(a)(1)(A), as amended by Act 503 of 2025, the timing of annual school board elections depends on whether the year is even-numbered or odd-numbered. In even-numbered years, the annual school board election must be held “on the date of the preferential primary election,” which is “the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March.” In odd-numbered years, annual school board elections must likewise be held “on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March,” unless that date falls on a state holiday. If “the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March” is a state holiday, then the election “shall be held on the third Tuesday of that month.”
Question 2: Regarding school elections and recently enacted legislation, how much public notice of the date of the election is required?
Brief Response: Section 7-5-202, as amended by Act 487 of 2025, sets forth the public-notice requirements applicable to elections, including school elections. This statute requires the county board of election commissioners to provide multiple forms of public notice, which include newspaper and polling-site notices.
Original opinion text
BOB R. BROOKS JR. JUSTICE BUILDING
101 WEST CAPITOL AVENUE
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS 72201
Opinion No. 2026-006
May 12, 2026
The Honorable Trey Steimel
State Representative
1173 Highway 62 W
Pocahontas, Arkansas 72455
Dear Representative Steimel:
You have asked the following questions about how recent legislation affects school-district
elections.
Question 1: Under current Arkansas law, when can the annual school board election lawfully
occur or be conducted?
Under A.C.A. § 6-14-102(a)(1)(A), as amended by Act 503 of 2025, the timing of annual school
board elections depends on whether the year is even-numbered or odd-numbered. In evennumbered years, the annual school board election must be held “on the date of the preferential
primary election,”1 which is “the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March.”2
In odd-numbered
years, annual school board elections must likewise be held “on the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in March,” unless that date falls on a state holiday.3 If “the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in March” is a state holiday, then the election “shall be held on the third Tuesday of that
month.”4
Question 2: Regarding school elections and recently enacted legislation, how much public
notice of the date of the election is required?
1 A.C.A. § 6-14-102(a)(1)(A)(i).
2 Id. § 7-7-203(b).
3 Id. § 6-14-102(a)(1)(A)(ii).
4 Id.
TIM GRIFFIN
ATTORNEY GENERAL
The Honorable Trey Steimel
State Representative
Opinion No. 2026-006
Page 2
Section 7-5-202, as amended by Act 487 of 2025, sets forth the public-notice requirements
applicable to elections, including school elections.5 This statute requires the county board of
election commissioners to provide multiple forms of public notice, including the following two.
A. Newspaper notices. First, “at least eight (8) days before the beginning of early voting” for a
school election, the county board of election commissioners must “give public notice in a
newspaper of general circulation in the county.”6 That notice must include, among other required
information, the specific date of the election.7 Second, “[a]t least five (5) days before a … school
election,” the board must republish notice of the election date “in a newspaper of general
circulation in the county.”8
B. Polling-site notices. “At least five (5) days before a … school election,” the county board of
election commissioners may post a copy of the public notice with the specific election date “at
each polling site fixed for holding the election.”9 But polling-site posting is mandatory on election
day: the public notice of election must be posted at each polling site on the day of the election “and
remain posted continuously therein until the polls close.”10
Assistant Attorney General Jodie Keener prepared this opinion, which I hereby approve.
Sincerely,
TIM GRIFFIN
Attorney General
5 Id. § 6-14-109(a) (“The county board of election commissioners shall give notice of all school elections under
§ 7-5-202.”).
6 Id. § 7-5-202(a)(1).
7 Id. Other required information includes the hours of voting on election day; the places and times for early voting;
the polling sites for holding the elections in the county; the candidates and offices to be elected; the time and location
of the opening, processing, canvassing, and counting of ballots; the location where lists of appointed election officials,
deputy county clerks, or additional deputies hired to conduct early voting can be found and the dates the lists are
available; and directions for filing a written objection to the service of an election official, deputy county clerk, or
additional deputy. Id. Importantly, “[i]f a school election for a school district that includes more than (1) county is
conducted by the county board of election commissioners for the domicile county and no county board of election
commissioners for a nondomicile county, the notice of election shall be published in one (1) or more newspapers of
general circulation in each of the counties in which the district has territory.” Id. § 6-14-109(b).
8 A.C.A. § 7-5-202(b)(1).
9 Id.
10 Id. § 7-5-202(c)(1).