Early voting in Craighead County reached 11,672 ballots through Wednesday, according to county elections coordinator Angela Horner, putting participation ahead of the comparable period in the 2022 midterm election.
Voters cast 1,365 ballots Wednesday, including 1,218 in Jonesboro and 147 in Lake City. The nine-day total was 1,480 votes higher than the same period in 2022, an increase of 14.5%.
Turnout remains above 2022 levels
Craighead County had 59,515 registered voters for the 2026 election cycle, compared with 57,954 during the 2022 midterms. Early voting began Oct. 19 and has produced higher daily totals than in 2022 on eight of the first nine days.
- Jonesboro has recorded 10,285 early votes since voting began.
- Lake City has recorded 1,387 early votes.
- The 2026 nine-day total is 6,857 votes below the comparable 2024 presidential-election period.
Voting in Jonesboro and Lake City was higher than the 2022 comparison on Wednesday after a lower total Tuesday. Wednesday's countywide figure was 60 votes, or 4.6%, above the 1,305 votes recorded on the ninth day of early voting in 2022.
The daily comparison was strongest at the beginning of the early-voting period. The first day produced 1,707 votes in 2026, compared with 1,246 in 2022. The second day produced 1,469 votes, compared with 1,089 four years earlier. On the eighth day, however, 2026 turnout was 37 votes lower than the 2022 total.
Voting continues before Election Day
The county's current early-voting total is below the presidential-election comparison. During the identical nine-day period in 2024, Craighead County recorded 18,529 early votes, or 6,857 more than in 2026. The lower participation follows the usual difference between presidential and midterm election cycles reflected in the county's figures.
Early voting for the 2026 general election continues through Monday, Nov. 2. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
