SB260
To Create The Ensuring Access For All Arkansans And Voter Protection Act Of 2023; To Amend The Procedure For The Filing Of A Ballot Initiative And Referendum Petition; And To Declare An Emergency.
Last Action (May 1, 2023): Sine Die adjournment
Sponsors
AI-Generated Summary
Senate Bill 260, titled the 'Ensuring Access for All Arkansans and Voter Protection Act of 2023,' modifies the requirements for qualifying statewide ballot initiative and referendum petitions for the ballot. The bill mandates that petitions must include signatures from at least 50 of Arkansas' 75 counties. Furthermore, it requires that within each of those 50 counties, the petition must obtain signatures from at least three-fourths of the percentage of voters currently required by law. If these geographic and signature distribution requirements are not met by the filing deadline, the official responsible for verification must declare the petition insufficient, and no supplemental signatures may be accepted to correct the deficiency. The bill includes an emergency clause, which would make these provisions effective immediately upon the Governor's approval or an override of a veto.
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
The primary beneficiaries are proponents of existing geographic distribution requirements for ballot measures who believe that state law should reflect a broader, more distributed base of support from across the state's diverse counties rather than relying on signatures concentrated in more densely populated areas.
Who Might Suffer?
The primary groups negatively impacted are grassroots organizations, political advocacy groups, and citizens attempting to place initiatives or referendums on the ballot. By increasing the complexity and geographic scope of the signature-gathering process, the bill raises the financial and logistical barriers to entry, making it significantly more difficult for organizers to successfully qualify measures for a public vote.
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