Keith Ingram

Issue 4 would authorize up to $500 million in bonds for water and wastewater projects. Helena-West Helena knows what happens when aging systems fail. Reliable water is not a luxury. Every Arkansas community should be able to count on it. KMI ow.ly/mtLC51034Ip

Today is Election Day. Polls are open 7:30 to 7:30. Bring your photo ID, and if you are in line at 7:30, stay in line. You can still vote. KMI

Election Day is tomorrow. Polls open at 7:30 in the morning and close at 7:30 tomorrow night. Here are the polling places for Crittenden, St. Francis, Lee, and Phillips counties. Know where you are going before you go, and bring your photo ID. KMI

Nearly 460,000 Arkansans had voted by Thursday, 17% ahead of the last midterm. Half a million by now. Whatever you think of the choices, people are showing up. That is a good sign for Arkansas. KMI ow.ly/8FaU51034Hq

Today is the last day to vote early in Arkansas. Polls close at 5. If you have been putting it off, this is it. Go vote. KMI

Have a great week. KMI

Reminder... Set your clocks back an hour before bed tonight. Enjoy the extra sleep! And put voting on Monday’s to-do list if you have not already been. KMI

Happy Halloween! Hope the kids have a big night tonight and the candy holds out. Watch for the little ones making their rounds and enjoy an evening with the neighbors. KMI

Pedestrians made up 11% of the 5K+ people killed on AR roads from 2016-24, and Halloween puts more kids on foot after dark than any night of the year. Put something reflective on the costume, take a flashlight, and if you are driving, slow down! KMI ow.ly/kA0g5101cl5

Today in 1909, Coach Bezdek stepped off the train in Fayetteville after beating LSU 16-0 and told the crowd the team played "like a wild band of Razorback hogs." The students liked it and voted to retire the Cardinals mascot and become the only Hogs! KMI ow.ly/JZo75101ckI

USPS Operation Santa lets you adopt a child's letter to Santa and fill the wish anonymously. Registration opens Nov. 2, adoption starts Nov. 16, and Dec. 12 is the last day to adopt and ship. Kids can mail letters through Dec. 5. KMI ow.ly/iiyt5101ck6

A record 3,824 women are running for state legislatures this fall, up from 3,621 in 2022. Women still hold about a third of legislative seats nationwide, and fewer than 15 percent across the river in Mississippi. KMI arkansasadvocate.com/2026/10…

The 2020 census may have missed up to 5% of Arkansans, the worst undercount in the nation, at an estimated cost of $5 billion to $12 billion in federal funding over the decade. Every Arkansan not counted is a dollar that goes to another state. KMI ow.ly/vuxM5101cjv

Today is National First Responders Day. To the firefighters, deputies, police officers, EMTs, and dispatchers serving communities across Arkansas: thank you. A special thanks to the volunteers who answer the call for their neighbors. We are blessed to have those willing. KMI

"The vote on Issue 3 presents a critical crossroads for economic development in Arkansas." KMI ow.ly/xgCm5101cnH

Family health coverage through work now averages $28,303 a year, and the worker's share of that premium rose 9% in 2026. The average deductible is $1,995, more than 2x what it was in 2011. KMI ow.ly/vSIw5101cj4

Gasoline is up 34.2 percent in a year. Airline fares are up 22.4 percent. Arkansas farmers face at least $343 million in added costs from the Iran war. "Revolutions have a way of surprising us. This one came suddenly and grew quickly." KMI ow.ly/ObKN5101cj1

My latest in the Democrat-Gazette. I have no quarrel with protecting tax dollars from fraud and waste. I would just like the concern to apply to all of them, not only the ones that go to poor people. KMI ow.ly/Wi0051011pp

There is still time to vote early: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, with early voting ending Monday, November 2, at 5 p.m. Check your local site’s hours, grab your photo ID, and go when it works for you. No need to leave it until the last day. KMI

"Imagine if we had taken the $400 million wasted on vouchers and added it to the $600 million state surplus. We could have had $1 billion for a Marshall Plan for rural Arkansas." Outstanding column from Rex Nelson. KMI ow.ly/1GVT51011iZ