2020 United States presidential election in Arkansas

2020 United States presidential election in Arkansas
Turnout	66.9%
President before election; Donald Trump; Republican	Elected President ; Joe Biden; Democratic

The 2020 United States presidential election in Arkansas took place on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated.^[1] Arkansas voters chose six electors^[2] to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and his running mate, incumbent Vice President Mike Pence, against Democratic challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, United States Senator Kamala Harris of California. Also on the ballot were the nominees for the Libertarian, Green, Constitution, American Solidarity, Life and Liberty, and Socialism and Liberation parties and Independent candidates. Write-in candidates are not allowed to participate in presidential elections.^[3]

Prior to the election, all 14 news organizations making predictions considered this a state Trump would win, or otherwise a safe red state. In 2016, Trump won Arkansas by a 26.92% margin,^[4] the largest margin for a candidate of either party since Jimmy Carter's 30.01% margin in 1976. In 2020, Trump won 62.40% of the vote to Biden's 34.78%, a 27.62% margin,^[5] the seventh consecutive election in which Republicans improved on their margin in Arkansas, the longest in the nation of any state for either party.^[6] This made Arkansas one of only six states, along with the District of Columbia, in which Trump improved on his performance in 2016.^[a] This margin makes it the largest loss by a Democrat in Arkansas since George McGovern's 38.1-point defeat in 1972. The last Democrat even to win over 40% of the vote was John Kerry in 2004.^[6] After Barack Obama, Biden is the second ever Democrat to win the presidency without carrying Arkansas.

Trump won landslide margins across the state, including in many of the state's metropolitan areas and suburbs. Trump once again carried Woodruff County, formerly a Democratic stronghold, thus marking the first time since its founding that a Democrat was elected president without carrying the county.^[7] Biden's strength was mostly isolated to Pulaski County, home to the state capital and largest city of Little Rock, and Jefferson County, home to Pine Bluff. He also won six rural, predominantly African-American counties on the eastern border along the Mississippi River. All but seven counties in the state swung heavily to the right, the exceptions being Pulaski County and one other county in the Little Rock metropolitan area; Sebastian County, home to Fort Smith; and three counties in the northwest encompassing and surrounding the college town of Fayetteville, where the University of Arkansas is located.^[8] Notably, Biden lost Washington County, where Fayetteville is, by only 3.9 percentage points, the closest any Democrat has come to winning it since Clinton did so in 1996. Arkansas voted 32.07% more Republican than the national average in 2020.

^ Kelly, Ben (August 13, 2018). "US elections key dates: When are the 2018 midterms and the 2020 presidential campaign?". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
^ "Distribution of Electoral Votes". National Archives and Records Administration. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
^ "Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Arkansas". Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
^ "2016 General Election and Nonpartisan Runoff Election - Official County Results". Arkansas Secretary of State. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
^ Cite error: The named reference officialresults was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b "Arkansas Presidential Election Voting History". 270toWin. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
^ Leip, Dave. "Arkansas Election Results". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
^ "Presidential Election Results: Biden Wins". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 19, 2021.

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

[1] Kelly, Ben (August 13, 2018). "US elections key dates: When are the 2018 midterms and the 2020 presidential campaign?". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.

[2] "Distribution of Electoral Votes". National Archives and Records Administration. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.

[3] "Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Arkansas". Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 19, 2021.

[4] "2016 General Election and Nonpartisan Runoff Election - Official County Results". Arkansas Secretary of State. Retrieved April 19, 2021.

[officialresults-5] Cite error: The named reference officialresults was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[:0-6] "Arkansas Presidential Election Voting History". 270toWin. Retrieved April 19, 2021.

[8] Leip, Dave. "Arkansas Election Results". Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Retrieved February 21, 2023.

[9] "Presidential Election Results: Biden Wins". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 19, 2021.

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