Arkansas
Arkansas election officials consider AI threats as they coordinate security plans • Arkansas Advocate
For the first time, Arkansas election officials have added artificial intelligence to their list of concerns while preparing for a general election.
The State Board of Election Commissioners oversees all elections in Arkansas, and officials have been gearing up for November’s general election since last fall. Ongoing preparations include coordinating with key players during what SBEC Director Chris Madison calls “election month,” which covers early voting, Election Day and the certification process that follows.
“What we want is a no-drama election [where] voters show up, cast their ballot and then we get good results, timely counted and certified, and there’s like no news stories,” Madison said.
Madison said his primary concern with artificial intelligence is that quick-spreading false information could overwhelm online channels on Election Day and discourage the public from voting.
“If you hear something that comports with your worldview, then you’re more likely to believe it than disbelieve it,” Madison said. “There’s a lot of people that are suspicious of elections and the processes, and it’s because they don’t necessarily understand all the processes that go into play.”
For example, a photo of officials conducting maintenance on election equipment could spread false messaging that the well-secured machines have been hacked, Madison said. To combat this, Madison said he’s establishing relationships with members of the press.
“A kernel of a little bit of truth could turn into a big popcorn of falseness,” he said. “How do we get ahead of those stories, address those stories or get good information out? That’s the type of stuff we’re talking about.”
At the secretary of state’s office, a team works to ensure candidates, ballot measures and absentee ballots are properly prepared, certified and distributed.
Spokesperson Chris Powell said he recognizes AI technology is “expanding and the potential for that technology is, as yet, unknown.”
The office isn’t moderating the technology, and Powell urged voters to consult with official sources for election-related information, as “inaccurate or deceptive information” can spread quickly.
Safety concerns
Beyond potential AI-related threats, the State Board of Election Commissioners is working closely with the secretary of state’s office, law enforcement agencies and county officials to secure the physical safety of the people at polling sites and deal with threats to election integrity.
Both Madison and Powell said they have had no indication that there will be any election-related violent threats in Arkansas, but the two agencies working with county officials will be the key to a problem-free election.
“One of the big things that we’re doing is making sure that information is flowing from the top down and the bottom up,” Madison said. “If we’re having an incident occurring in a county — we’re working real hard with our county people to know to contact us with the secretary of state’s office so that we can make sure that that’s not occurring elsewhere.”
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Each Arkansas county has a three-person election commission that prepares polling sites and conducts voting on Election Day. The county election commissioners are also responsible for recruiting and training poll workers.
Angela Jean Scott, Republican chair of the Johnson County Board of Election Commissioners, said local poll workers have expressed concerns about Election Day violence based on stories they see in the news.
To protect everyone involved on Election Day, Scott said the commission has been coordinating with local law enforcement and emergency management personnel about potential violent altercations and natural disasters.
From gas leaks to fires, tornadoes and physical altercations, Scott said the commission is prepared for a number of emergencies.
“We want our poll workers to feel secure, and that’s why we’re going through these extra measures to make them feel that we’re looking out for them, because we want them back in two years,” Scott said. “We need them.”
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Though Scott said she doesn’t foresee any violence occurring in Johnson County on Election Day, plainclothes officers will be visiting the 12 voting centers throughout the day. If violence does occur, Scott said the best approach is to call 911.
“Because we are a county that doesn’t have a huge expansion of law enforcement, you can’t just have people on standby in areas,” Scott said. “They actually are out working, and so they will be in that area just as soon as they’re called in case of an emergency.”
Johnson County has a population of about 26,000 residents. Clarksville is the county seat, and rural mountain towns dot the northern part of the county.
Election integrity
Election officials’ safety plans don’t stop at keeping people safe, but also extend to the security of ballots.
When the Advocate interviewed Scott, who also serves as Johnson County’s election coordinator, she was ensuring the software within voting machines was accounted for and working, which is a process she referred to as “logistics and accuracy.”
Next week, a small team will send sample ballots through the county’s 55 machines to confirm the selection of all candidates and measures on 76 different ballot types works correctly.
This test process is open to the public for observation and ends on Oct. 11, Scott said. Afterward, the machines are zeroed out and secured until Election Day when a tape showing each machine’s zeroed status will be posted at polling locations.
“As a commission, we have really tried to push education of how the equipment works so people have more faith in it,” said Scott, who also recently spoke to the local Rotary Club about the voting equipment.
During a recent experimental hand-count of sample ballots to verify the machines were tabulating correctly, Scott found human error and machine accuracy.
“These machines are 100% accurate, so I have a lot of faith in them,” she said. “I do not want to hand count ballots.”
The ballots are also considered during each emergency plan, Scott said. Two people are always required to be with the ballots, and after Election Day they are sealed and stored until the certification process begins.
November’s general election will be the first since the Arkansas attorney general’s office launched its Election Integrity Unit. Through the leadership of Wayne Bewley, a former Little Rock assistant police chief, the office will investigate any reports related to the election.
Reports could include residents’ problems with ballot presentation, how a count is being conducted at a polling place or any feature of Election Day that seems amiss, said Jeff LeMaster, spokesperson for the attorney general’s office.
The investigations are a reactive measure to issues that could arise on Election Day, LeMaster said.
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas will open the Ryan Silverfield era at home on Sept. 5 against North Alabama as part of a home schedule that features seven home games, including five Southeastern Conference games as part of the league’s first-ever, nine-game conference slate.
The Razorbacks open the season inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium against North Alabama on Sept. 5. Coach Silverfield will coach his first game as the Head Hog in the program’s first-ever meeting with Lions. Another program first awaits the following week with a trip to Utah (Sept. 12) for the first football game between the two schools. The road game at Utah will be the Hogs’ third at a Big 12 opponent in five seasons following trips to BYU in 2022 and Oklahoma State in 2024.
Arkansas returns home to Fayetteville for back-to-back games with its first Southeastern Conference game of the season against Georgia on Sept. 19. The Bulldogs’ visit to Razorback Stadium will be the team’s first since 2020 when the two teams squared off in the season opener. Arkansas’ final non-conference game of the season is set for Sept. 26 vs. Tulsa. The matchup will be the 74th in a series that dates back to 1899.
A three-game stretch to start October features games at Texas A&M (Oct. 3) and at Vanderbilt (Oct. 17) with a home game against Tennessee (Oct. 10) in between. The trip to Texas A&M will be Arkansas’ first since 2020 and the trip to Vanderbilt will be the first for the Razorbacks since 2011 and mark just the 11th meeting all time between the two programs. Despite joining the SEC in 1992, the Hogs and the Commodores have played just seven times with only three coming in Nashville.
Arkansas’ bye week is set for Oct. 24 before wrapping up the month with a home game against Missouri (Oct. 31). The Battle Line Rivalry moves up the schedule from its traditional final game slot for the first time since Mizzou joined the league. The Razorbacks and Tigers have closed every regular season – except the pandemic-shortened schedule in 2020 – against each other since 2014.
November begins with a trip to Auburn (Nov. 7) before closing the season at home in two of the final three regular season games. South Carolina makes the trip to Fayetteville on Nov. 14 for the first time since 2022. A return trip to Texas (Nov. 21) serves as the final road game on the slate. The Battle for the Golden Boot returns to its regular season finale position on the schedule on Nov. 28. Arkansas and LSU battled on the final weekend of the regular season from 1992 when the Hogs joined the SEC through the 2013 season.
Football season ticket renewals will take place from January 20 through March 31. New season tickets can be purchased by clicking here. All new season ticket purchasers will have the opportunity to relocate their season ticket locations during Razorback Seat Selection in April. Additional season ticket inventory will be made available following the seat selection process.
2026 Arkansas Football Schedule
Date – Opponent
Sept. 5 North Alabama
Sept. 12 at Utah
Sept. 19 Georgia*
Sept. 26 Tulsa
Oct. 3 at Texas A&M*
Oct. 10 Tennessee*
Oct. 17 at Vanderbilt*
Oct. 24 Bye
Oct. 31 Missouri*
Nov. 7 at Auburn*
Nov. 14 South Carolina*
Nov. 21 at Texas*
Nov. 28 LSU*
*Southeastern Conference game
Arkansas
Arkansas Educational Television Commission disaffiliates from PBS | Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Bill Bowden
Bill Bowden covers a variety of news for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, primarily in Northwest Arkansas. He has worked at the newspaper for 16 years and previously worked for both the Arkansas Democrat and Arkansas Gazette.
LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Accounting firms in Arkansas are aggressively adopting artificial intelligence tools. The field is among the most impacted by the AI boom because it is so data-centered.
“All the accounting firms, you know, medium size to large firms that I’ve been talking to, they have incorporated AI to some extent,” said Dr. Gaurav Kumar, a professor of accounting at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Artificial intelligence can do in an instant work that used to take accountants many hours.
Landmark CPAs is at the forefront of the industry’s shift to AI in Arkansas and says the technology has all but eliminated the need for entry-level accountants to punch in numbers for W-2s and 1099s.
“Being able to use software that can auto-populate, can read documents and populate that into the return for us has really made a big difference,” said Rocky Goodman, a tax partner at Landmark.
And it’s the same with audits—AI can look for discrepancies and verify cash payments at lightning speed.
“It’s going to do it like that, whereas it used to take a staff maybe five to 10 hours,” said Michael Pierce, a Landmark audit partner.
And contrary to fears, Landmark says AI isn’t costing accountants jobs but plugging a gap created by a workforce shortage in the industry.
The advantages of AI are clear, but it also demands investment in cybersecurity and ensuring data privacy.
“One of the concerns is privacy. So, you know, if the staff is using personal AI tools, client data could be exposed. So firms must provide kind of secure, enterprise-grade AI options and clear policies,” Kumar told KATV.
Landmark plays it safe and uses enterprise-level AI tools.
“Our IT department obviously spends a lot of time researching to ensure that we don’t have any issues with client information being included in the learning modules that are building out these AIs,” Pierce told KATV.
Another concern is that, despite its rapid growth, AI is not infallible.
“AI can still produce incorrect or sometimes made-up information it can automate tasks, but it cannot replace judgment, ethics, or the ability to interpret complex tax laws or business scenarios,” Kumar said. “So, you know, that’s where a professional CPA, professional accountants, come in—review is essential.”
For that reason, and because data input is no longer a burden, Landmark is hiring CPAs for more of an analytical role.
“It does take a different skill set for someone than it did prior to the AI explosion,” Goodman told KATV.
But AI is reshaping the accounting industry in other ways as well.
“It’s also another challenge because AI is reducing the number of hours it takes to do a work, and traditionally accounting firms have always billed their clients on an hourly basis. So now AI is kind of pressuring firms to shift away from hourly billing and move more towards value pricing and subscription based advisory. So it’s kind of like they have to change their whole model,” Kumar told KATV.
Another factor is the cost of AI—like other firms, Landmark has had to spend a lot of money to stay competitive in its rapidly changing industry.
There is immense pressure to adopt AI, and it’s not limited to accounting firms.
“I’ve been seeing that companies in Central Arkansas are eager to move forward, but they’re trying to do it judiciously,” said Marla Johnson, tech entrepreneur-in-residence at UALR.
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