On March 7, the Arkansas Senate passed SB 445 by 20-7. It moves the primary, for all office, in presidential years, from May to the first week in March. It also sets an earlier deadline for primary candidates to file. The existing deadline is 75 days before the primary, but the bill moves that to 92 days, in presidential election years only.

The existing law says the petition to qualify a new party is due 60 days before the date on which primary candidates file. This means that the bill, if enacted, will move the petition deadline for a newly-qualifying party from January of the election year, to October of the odd year before the election.