A group in Arkansas has less than 150 days to collect enough signatures to put abortion on the ballot in 2024.

For AR People is a nonprofit advocacy group organizing the effort to pass the Arkansas Abortion Amendment. This law would legalize abortion for up to 18 weeks of pregnancy or in cases of rape or incest.

Abortion became illegal in June of 2022, after Roe v. Wade was overturned. At that time, a trigger law went into effect which banned all abortions in Arkansas except to save the life of the mother.

The amendment was originally put forth by the group Arkansans for Limited Government, a ballot question committee formed by For AR People. After several failed attempts, Attorney General Tim Griffin approved the ballot title in January. For AR People is required to collect over 90,000 signatures from across the state in under 150 days to place it on the November ballot.

Arkansas group collecting signatures to roll back abortion ban

*Meg Kelly/NPR*
Arkansans for Limited Government has until July 5 to collect all the needed signatures to place an amendment rolling back the state's abortion restrictions on the November ballot.

Attorney General Tim Griffin approved Tuesday (Jan. 23) a proposed constitutional amendment to provide exceptions for abortions in Arkansas, but he made two changes to the proposal.

The proposed constitutional amendment – known as the Arkansas Abortion Amendment – would prevent the state from restricting access to abortion up to 18 weeks after conception or in the instance of rape or incest, fatal fetal anomaly, or when abortion is needed to protect the pregnant woman’s life or health.

“Having reviewed the text of your proposed constitutional amendment, as well as your proposed popular name and ballot title, my statutory duty at this stage is to substitute and certify the popular name and ballot title indicated below. With regard to your proposed ballot title, I believe the following minor changes are necessary to ensure that the ballot title clearly and accurately sets forth the purpose of your proposed initiated amendment to the Arkansas Constitution,” Griffin said.

You can read Griffin’s opinion letter here.

AG Griffin approves abortion amendment ballot title with changes