Arkansas House District 44 voters decide who will finish vacant House term
Voters in Arkansas House District 44 are casting ballots Tuesday, August 4, to fill the seat left vacant by the March 2026 death of Republican Rep. Stan Berry. Republican nominee Bill Teeter is unopposed in the special general election after no candidates from other parties filed.
The contest is limited to registered voters who live in District 44, which covers portions of Pope and Van Buren counties. The winner will serve the remainder of Berry’s current Arkansas House term, which ends in January.
What District 44 voters need to know
Pope County’s Election Commission lists Election Day voting hours as 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The county uses vote centers, allowing eligible Pope County voters to vote at an available county vote center rather than being limited to one assigned polling place.
However, the county’s published vote-center information says locations may be reduced or changed for runoff and special elections. The regular list includes sites in Atkins, Dover, Russellville, Hector and Pottsville, as well as the Pope County Election Commission headquarters at 1509 East Main Street, Suite 7, in Russellville. Voters should verify which locations are open for the August 4 special election before leaving home.
Early voting has ended. It ran July 28 through August 3, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Pope County Election Commission headquarters in Russellville.
Residents who are unsure whether they live in House District 44, or who need to check registration and polling information, should use the Arkansas Secretary of State’s voter resources or contact the appropriate county election office.
Teeter advanced from the Republican runoff
Teeter won the Republican special primary runoff on June 30, according to reporting by the Arkansas Advocate. He defeated Nikki Phillips in the Republican contest and advanced to the August 4 special general election.
No Democratic or other-party candidates filed for the special general election, leaving Teeter unopposed on the ballot. That does not eliminate the election process: eligible voters may still cast ballots, and election officials must count and certify the returns.
Teeter is a retired Russellville dispatcher and volunteer firefighter. Berry represented District 44 before the seat became vacant.
Election-night totals will be unofficial
Any returns released after polls close will be unofficial. County election commissioners must canvass and certify the returns before the result is formally confirmed.
The Arkansas Secretary of State maintains the statewide election-results and research portal. At the time of publication, that portal listed the 2026 House District 44 special primary and special primary runoff records, but a separate August 4 special general election results page was not confirmed there.
Residents should therefore treat early totals as preliminary and watch for the county certification and subsequent state reporting process.
The election fills the current vacancy
The August 4 election is for the remainder of Berry’s existing term, not a new full two-year term. That term ends in January.
The regular November 3 election is separate from Tuesday’s vacancy election. The November contest concerns the next full House term, while the August 4 vote determines who completes the current term.
Only registered voters who reside in House District 44 are eligible to participate. Checking district status, registration and the current polling location before voting is especially important because special-election vote-center arrangements can differ from the county’s regular election list.
Sources
- Pope County Election Commission election information
- Arkansas Secretary of State election results and research
- Arkansas Advocate reporting on the House District 44 nomination
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