The Arkansas Green Party next year will hold a presidential primary on February 5. This will be the first time any party, other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, has ever had a presidential primary in Arkansas. There were no presidential primaries in Arkansas until 1976.

The Green Party submitted a petition earlier this year to regain its qualified status, and is the only third party ballot-qualified (except that the Libertarian Party is ballot-qualified just to be on for president in November 2008). Running in the Green presidential primary are Jared Ball, Howie Hawkins, Cynthia McKinney, Kent Mesplay, and Kat Swift. UPDATE: Hawkins is not running in this primary. Arkansas Green Party rules require presidential primary candidates to sign a pledge that if nominated, the candidate will accept. Hawkins is not interested in running for president himself; he has been offering his name in various Green presidential primaries as a stand-in for Ralph Nader.