On Thursday Sen. Kim Hammer (R — Benton) and Rep. Kendon Underwood (R — Cave Springs) filed six measures shoring up Arkansas’ laws concerning petition drives for ballot initiatives.
The Arkansas Constitution lets canvassers circulate petitions to place measures on a general election ballot. Since 2008, organizations have placed — or attempted to place — measures like the Arkansas Lottery amendment, Arkansas Casino Amendment, marijuana legislation, an abortion amendment, and others on the ballot via the petition process.
On Thursday, Sen. Hammer and Rep. Underwood filed the following bills to clarify Arkansas’ laws concerning ballot measures:
- S.B. 207 requires petition canvassers to inform people that petition fraud is a crime before obtaining their signatures on a petition.
- S.B. 208 requires canvassers to verify a person’s identity via photo ID before obtaining the person’s signature on a petition. This helps prevent people from fraudulently signing someone else’s name on a petition.
- S.B. 209 clarifies that the signatures a canvasser collects will not count if the Secretary of State finds the canvasser has violated Arkansas’ laws concerning canvassing, perjury, forgery, or fraud in the process of gathering signatures.
- S.B. 210 requires people to read the ballot title of the measure before signing a petition. The ballot title includes a summary of the ballot measure. Reading the ballot title helps ensure people understand the measure before they sign a petition to place the measure on the ballot.
- S.B. 211 requires petition canvassers to file an affidavit with the Secretary of State verifying that the canvasser complied with the Arkansas Constitution and all Arkansas laws concerning canvassing, perjury, forgery, and fraud in the process of gathering signatures.
- S.B. 212 creates the Document Validity Division within the Arkansas Secretary of State’s office to investigate, subpoena, and nullify fraudulent or false documents related to ballot initiatives.
It’s important for voters to understand the measures vying for the ballot in Arkansas, and petition canvassers gathering signatures have a responsibility to follow the law. These bills by Sen. Hammer and Rep. Underwood help strengthen and clarify Arkansas’ laws governing the petition process.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
