Arkansas voters approved a constitutional amendment expanding the state’s protections for gun rights in the Nov. 3 general election, according to election results reported with 99% of the vote counted.
Issue 2 passed with 612,402 votes in favor and 252,653 votes against. The measure will amend the Arkansas Constitution after the election results are certified.
What Issue 2 changes
The amendment declares that the right to keep and bear arms is a “natural, fundamental, and individual right” and provides that the right “shall not be infringed.” The language expands the constitutional protections beyond firearms themselves to include ammunition, firearm accessories and firearm components.
“Natural, fundamental, and individual right” that “shall not be infringed.”
Issue 2 also identifies hunting and recreational use as protected purposes under the amendment. The measure’s language places those activities alongside the broader right to keep and bear arms in the state Constitution.
- 612,402 votes were cast for Issue 2.
- 252,653 votes were cast against it.
- The amendment also covers ammunition, firearm accessories and components.
Supporters said the amendment would reinforce protections for gun owners and establish more explicit constitutional safeguards. Opponents argued that the amendment would expand gun rights beyond the protections already in the Arkansas Constitution and could affect how future firearms regulations are evaluated.
Issue 2 was one of four statewide initiatives on the 2026 ballot. Voters also approved an amendment concerning voting by U.S. citizens and a measure authorizing up to $500 million in general-obligation bonds for water infrastructure. They rejected a proposed amendment that would have expanded the General Assembly’s authority to create economic development programs and provide public financing.
Once certified, Issue 2 will become part of the Arkansas Constitution. The amendment’s provisions cover the possession of firearms as well as related ammunition, accessories and components, while specifically protecting hunting and recreational use.
