How ArkCAN Is Building Confident Voters in Arkansas

By Caleb Mimms, contributor

Arkansas has a civic engagement problem, but it's one that can be fixed. On Friday, September 18, 2026, Dr. Gail Choate of the Arkansas Civic Action Network (ArkCAN) joined Arkansas TV to talk about this problem, how people are working to improve civic engagement, and how it is changing ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

To improve voter turnout, Arkansas and its leadership need to focus on young people. According to The Civics Center, only 44% of 18-year-olds in Arkansas are registered to vote. Young people are often left out of political discussions in our state, which may explain why they often don't vote. Dr. Choate says the best way to fix this is to better educate young people about our government and what it means to be civically involved. ArkCAN is trying to do just that through the ENGAGE Civic Academy for high schoolers. The program offers a unique opportunity for high schoolers to earn service hours by attending classes that teach them how to get involved in issues they care about and express themselves in a civically responsible way, including what their vote means when they turn 18. The academy aims to build young people's confidence in voting and show them they can make a difference in their country, state, and community.

ArkCAN is not only doing this for young people, but also educating other current and potential voters on what they need to do to vote in Arkansas and on their voting rights as Arkansas residents and U.S. citizens. It does this through ArkCAN's Confident Voter workshops being held across Arkansas. These workshops aim to give people the tools to research and understand the issues on their ballot in a nonpartisan way. By investing in people and giving them the resources to learn about the issues that affect them most, the organization hopes to increase voter turnout in Arkansas. Dr. Choate discusses this in more detail in the interview.

Many people, especially young people, lack confidence in the issues they vote on, according to KAIT Region 8 News. Dr. Choate says one reason for this is how disrupted social interactions have become. People can often hold preconceived notions about those with opposing beliefs and refuse to talk about issues that matter to them. She addresses this issue in depth and suggests avoiding labels like "Democrat" or "Republican" and instead describing people by the issues they care about. The goal is deeper conversations about issues close to home, with people they know and trust, which can lead to more informed voters. ArkCAN is making strong efforts to ensure people have the tools they need to talk about issues that matter to them, including a canvassing guide for Arkansas.

Dr. Choate and the Arkansas Civic Action Network are educating voters across the state, helping people understand what it means to have their voices heard and what their rights are at the ballot box. Through the ENGAGE Civic Academy, the Confident Voter workshops, and the canvassing guide, they are working to build confident voters in Arkansas. Watch her full interview on YouTube (starting at 24:45) and read a summary on the Arkansas TV blog.