Arkansas Primary Facts and Figures

Compiled by the U.S.News & World Report library staff

Presidential Primary Winners

Democrats

• 1988 Al Gore
• 1992 Bill Clinton
• 1996 Bill Clinton
• 2000 Al Gore
• 2004 John Kerry

Republicans

• 1988 George H. W. Bush
• 1992 George H. W. Bush
• 1996 Bob Dole
• 2000 George W. Bush
• 2004 George W. Bush

Sources: Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections; Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels: Past Election Results

2008 Voter Registration Data

1,562,226 registered voters as of December 2007

Source: Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels: Registered Voters as of 12/31/2007

General Election Winners — 1988-2004

• 1988 George H. W. Bush
• 1992 Bill Clinton
• 1996 Bill Clinton
• 2000 George W. Bush
• 2004 George W. Bush

Sources: Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections; Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels: Past Election Results

Exit Poll Demographics

2004 Election

Sex

• Male: 44%
• Female: 56%

Race

• White: 83%
• African-American: 15%
• Latino: 1%
• Asian: 0%
• Other: 1%

Age

• 18-29: 16%
• 30-44: 29%
• 45-59: 29%
• 60 and older: 26%

Are You a White Evangelical/Born-Again?

• Yes: 53%
• No: 47%

Source: CNN.com

3 Things You Didn't Know About Arkansas Primaries and Elections

1. Arkansas's presidential primaries are open. This means voters choose their ballot when they arrive to vote, regardless of past party affiliation. Of the over 1.5 million registered voters in Arkansas, most are undeclared. In January 2008, the secretary of state's office reported over 58,000 declared Democrats, around 45,000 declared Republicans, and six voters registered with the Green Party. Further, there will be 18 names on the Arkansas presidential primary ballots in 2008: eight Democrats, six Republicans, and four Green Party of Arkansas candidates.

2. Arkansas has voted for the winner of every presidential election since 1972.

3. Yell County, Ark. (named after Archibald Yell, the second governor of the state), is also known as the Free State of Yell. It is "so called because of a history of electoral eccentricity," explains the New York Times. The nickname apparently can be traced back to a 1915 special election to fill a circuit judgeship vacancy when the county mobilized a large number of (possibly questionable) voters to support and elect a local candidate.

Sources:
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas Secretary of State Charlie Daniels: 2008 Preferential Presidential Primary Candidates
The Associated Press State & Local Wire
Congressional Quarterly's Guide to U.S. Elections
The New York Times