SB102

Senate Bill 102 amends Arkansas law regarding canvassers for local option election petitions. The bill establishes more rigorous background check and registration requirements for paid canvassers, including mandatory criminal history searches at the sponsor's expense. It introduces new eligibility requirements, stipulating that canvassers must be United States citizens and residents of Arkansas. The bill prohibits paying canvassers based on the number of signatures they collect. It creates new Class D felony penalties for sponsors or canvassers who knowingly facilitate or submit false verification affidavits regarding witnessed signatures. Additionally, it provides specific criteria for the disqualification of signatures obtained by canvassers who do not meet these new standards and updates administrative procedures for petition filing.