STATE INVESTIGATION CONFIRMS ELECTION LAW VIOLATION IN IZARD COUNTY
Three voters cast incorrect ballots; county clerk receives Letter of Caution
HORSESHOE BEND, AR | October 26, 2026
An investigation by the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners (SBEC) has confirmed that three voters received and cast incorrect ballots during the March 3, 2026, preferential primary election because of errors in Izard County's voter registration records.
The investigation, SBEC Docket No. 2026-048, determined that Izard County Clerk Joe Cooper violated Arkansas Code § 7-5-110, which requires county clerks to maintain accurate precinct voter registration lists identifying the districts in which voters are qualified to vote.
What Investigators Found
The investigation began after a complaint alleged that seven Horseshoe Bend voters had been incorrectly assigned to voting districts.
State investigators confirmed that three voters were incorrectly assigned to Justice of the Peace District 4 instead of District 9, resulting in those voters receiving and casting incorrect ballots.
The affected addresses were:
747 Day Road
316 Alderman Road
1931 Day Road
Investigators did not substantiate the allegation that all seven voters received incorrect ballots.
Longstanding Problems With Voter Registration Records
Perhaps most concerning, the investigation revealed that the county clerk's office had been working for years to correct voter registration address and mapping errors.
Despite assistance from election systems personnel and a private geospatial services provider, inaccuracies remained in the county's voter registration database during the March 2026 election.
These were not simply hypothetical errors. They resulted in voters receiving and casting the wrong ballots.
State Finds Election Law Violation
Investigators concluded that the county clerk failed to maintain accurate precinct voter registration records as required by Arkansas law.
SBEC staff recommended that the State Board consider a settlement that included a statutory sanction.
On September 29, 2026, the State Board issued a Notice of Final Action identifying a Letter of Caution as the disposition.
Serious Questions Before November 3 Election
With the November 3 general election approaching, the findings raise important questions:
Have all voter registration errors been corrected?
How many other voters may have incorrect precinct or district assignments?
What safeguards are in place to ensure voters receive the correct ballots?
The investigation does not establish intentional voter fraud or that the errors changed an election outcome. It does establish that inaccurate county registration records resulted in incorrect ballots being cast.
The Bottom Line
The State of Arkansas has officially confirmed an election law violation in Izard County.
Three voters cast incorrect ballots because of errors in the county's registration system, and the county clerk received a Letter of Caution.
The public deserves to know whether these longstanding problems have been fully corrected before the November 3 election.
Election integrity begins with accurate voter registration records.
Source: Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners, Docket No. 2026-048, Investigation Report dated August 27, 2026, and Notice of Final Action dated September 29, 2026.
