The 93rd General Assembly passed multiple pieces of legislation out of the most recent session to strengthen the integrity of Arkansas elections. The Republican-led supermajority in the Arkansas legislature is leading the nation in the struggle for election reform, security, and integrity. Some of the bills passed by the legislature are summarized below, and you can view the entirety of a bill text by clicking the bill number.
- ACT 249 (HB1112) Voter ID and Provisional Ballots - removes the optional verification signed statement. While much legislation across the country has gone into voter ID laws, no identification was needed for absentee ballots, so strict ID laws do nothing to protect against this kind of fraud unless voter ID is required for absentees.
- ACT 1051 (SB582) CBEC Oaths and Training: This amends the options for election commissioners to take the oath to align with existing law for other appointments and strengthens existing law by adding more training requirements for county election coordinators and skill requirements for certification for the county board.
- ACT 950 (SB557) Supervision Of Election Officials: This amends the duties of a county board of election commissioners to add the supervision of all election officials and allows for the county board of election commissioners to delegate the supervision of elections to county elected officials. Existing law designates the county board of election commissioners as the body in charge of administering and running elections; however, in some counties, the county clerk or his or her staff has taken on some or all of these duties. This bill ensures that practice aligns with the law.
- ACT 952 (SB498) Enforcement Of Election Laws: This allows for the county board of election commissioners to send written complaints directly to the state board of election commissioners rather than sending them to the prosecutor and the county clerk of which the county clerk does not have investigatory power. This bill aligns with current law as the state board is responsible for investigating election law complaints. Furthermore, it will ensure that all the evidence is gathered and reviewed properly before turning it over to the prosecuting attorney.
- ACT 973 (SB643) Absentee Deadlines: This aligns absentee application and ballot return deadlines for in-person, designated bearer, and administrator. The new deadline for both application and ballot return is close of business the Friday before election day and the return location is the physical address of the county clerk’s office (mail and authorized agent remain the same).
- ACT 974 (SB644) Investigations and Elections Violations Hotline: This provides an avenue for JPR to investigate issues of election violations (may not shall) following the certification of an election and establish an election violations hotline within the attorney general’s office. Election officials who violate election law, found guilty of a crime under law, and prosecuted shall not serve as an election official again. Allows for the state board of election commissioners to take over an election board temporarily if election law violations are severe and establishes a method to be reimbursed for the funds.
- ACT 756 (HB1803) - Arkansas Balloting Integrity Act: This simply expands the scope of what the state board of election commissioners may investigate and requires county boards of election commissioners to prepare a budget.
- ACT 729 (SB487) - Vote Centers: This simply aligns the establishment and alteration of vote centers to existing law to only the county boards of election commissioners as county clerks do not establish or alter polling sites. Not only is this necessary clean-up language; it is necessary for the integrity of how elections remain secure by adding another layer of security as we have moved from paper poll books to electronic poll books on election day except for the paper poll books required for all sites for emergency reasons.
- ACT 727 (SB488) – FOIA and Exempt Ballots: This prohibits ballots from being copied during an election to protect the chain of custody unless a court has ordered them unsealed for review. This bill does not affect poll watchers as they may still review voter statements during canvassing.
- ACT 736 (HB1715) – Absentee Bill: This bill solidifies integrity in the absentee balloting process by closing several loopholes and standardizing processes already in law.
- ACT 728 (SB486) Electioneering: This bill prohibits persons or groups from remaining within 100 feet of the primary entrance of the polling site where voting is taking place if not there for lawful purposes.