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Arkansas Amendment 85 was a 2008 constitutional amendment about voting and elections—not a current ballot measure. It removed outdated constitutional references, including language about poll taxes and a minimum voting age of 21, and recognized voting regulations already in place. The case for voting yes is that people should understand what a ballot measure changes before deciding; the historical record establishes what Amendment 85 did, while that case for yes remains an opinion.
What Arkansas Amendment 85 changed
The Arkansas Secretary of State identifies Amendment 85 as the “Voting and Elections Amendment.” It amended Article 3, Sections 1, 2, 8, and 10 of the Arkansas Constitution and repealed Article 3, Section 5. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service’s 2026 voter guide describes its practical purpose as removing outdated constitutional language referring to poll taxes and a minimum voting age of 21, and recognizing voting regulations already in place.
That plain-language description is useful, but it is not the entirety of the measure: the amendment’s formal record identifies changes to four sections and repeal of a fifth. Amendment 85 was proposed through Senate Joint Resolution 4 during the 2007 regular session, adopted at the 2008 general election, and took effect December 4, 2008. Arkansas Secretary of State, 2025 compilation; University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, 2026 voter guide.
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The Secretary of State’s 2025 compilation records 714,128 votes for Amendment 85 and 267,326 against. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service’s 2026 guide reports the same totals. These are the recorded totals for the 2008 measure, not figures for a current election. Arkansas Secretary of State; University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
Why an informed vote matters
“Yes” is the position of this opinion: voters should understand what they are voting on. Amendment 85 illustrates why that matters. A shorthand description—removing obsolete references—can help explain the measure’s purpose, but the official record also shows its specific constitutional scope: four sections amended and one repealed. Readers considering a ballot measure should be able to distinguish its stated purpose from the actual legal changes and weigh those changes for themselves.
The available official and university materials establish Amendment 85’s history and effect; they do not prove that every voter ought to have voted yes, or establish a universal rule about how voters behave. The argument here is that informed decisions are preferable—not that the outcome alone settles the merits.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Don’t confuse Amendment 85 with a current proposal
Amendment 85 refers here to Arkansas’s 2008 Voting and Elections Amendment. The Secretary of State lists 2026 proposals separately on its initiatives and referenda page; a proposal’s certification by the Attorney General does not by itself mean it is actively circulating or has qualified for a future ballot. Check current state election information for the status of any live measure rather than assuming it is the historical Amendment 85.
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