Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 991 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 608 3
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By: Senator M. Johnson 5
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING RUNOFF ELECTIONS 9
FOR COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL OFFICERS; AND FOR OTHER 10
PURPOSES. 11
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Subtitle 14
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING RUNOFF 15
ELECTIONS FOR COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL 16
OFFICERS. 17
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-106(a), concerning runoff elections for 21
county and municipal officers, is amended to read as follows: 22
(a)(1) If there are more than two (2) candidates for election to any 23
county elected office or a municipal office , including the office of justice 24
of the peace, at any general election held in this state and no candidate for 25
the county elected office or municipal office receives a majority of the 26
votes cast for the county elected office or municipal office, there shall be 27
a runoff general election held in that county or municipality four (4) weeks 28
following the date of the general election at which the names of the two (2) 29
candidates receiving the highest number of votes, but not a majority, shall 30
be placed on the ballot to be voted upon by the qualified electors of the 31
county or the municipality. 32
(2)(A) The following procedure will govern if there are more 33
than two (2) candidates for election to any municipal office at any general 34
election held in this state in which no candidate for the municipal office 35
receives either: 36 SB608
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(i) A majority of the votes cast; or 1
(ii) A plurality of forty percent (40%) of the votes 2
cast. 3
(B)(i) A candidate who receives a plurality of forty 4
percent (40%) of the votes cast must obtain at least twenty percent (20%) 5
more of the votes cast than the second -place candidate for the municipal 6
office to avoid a runoff general election against the second -place candidate. 7
(ii) If required, the runoff general election 8
between the two (2) candidates shall be held in that municipality four (4) 9
weeks following the date of the general election with the names of the two 10
(2) candidates placed on the ballot to be voted upon by the qualified 11
electors of the municipality. 12
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-106(d), concerning runoff elections for 14
county and municipal officers, is amended to read as follows: 15
(d) If one (1) of the two (2) candidates who received the highest 16
number of votes for a county elected office or a municipal office but not a 17
majority of the votes in a county for a county elected office or either a 18
majority or both forty percent (40%) of the votes cast and at least twenty 19
percent (20%) more of the votes cast than the second -place candidate in a 20
municipality for a municipal office in the general election withdraws before 21
certification of the result of the general election, the remaining candidate 22
who received the most votes at the general election shall be declared elected 23
to the county elected office or municipal office and there shall be no runoff 24
general election. 25
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APPROVED: 4/22/25 28
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