The right to vote is fundamental to the protection of every other right guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. When eligible voters can’t vote, elected officials can’t be held accountable for enacting policies that reflect the will of the people they serve. Trust in our institutions erodes, and our democracy suffers.

That is why the ACLU is dedicated to protecting access to the ballot box and making sure every eligible voter has an equal opportunity to participate in the democratic process.

This fight is even more important as politicians across the country try to make it harder to vote – by putting up additional obstacles to registration, cutting back on early voting and enacting strict voter identification requirements.

The first step to defending your voting rights is to know them. Knowledge is power, so we’ve developed a set of comprehensive resources to help Arkansans understand their voting rights and know what to do when those rights are challenged.

By visiting, you can find information about what to bring when you go to the polls, key election dates and deadlines, and how to restore your voting rights after a criminal conviction. We’ve also developed a specific guide for Arkansans who are homeless, because being down on your luck shouldn’t mean losing your right to vote.

In addition to educating the public about their voting rights, we’re also working to advocate for policies that will make it easier for Americans to vote, including a bipartisan bill that authorizes automatic voter registration (AVR). Despite rollbacks to voting rights at the state and federal levels, at least 26 states and DC have moved forward since 2012 with laws and policies to expand access to the ballot box – a promising sign of potential for more progress.

Together, we can strengthen the integrity of our elections and make it easier for eligible voters to vote.