KUAR | By Mary Hennigan / Arkansas Advocate

The State Board of Election Commissioners on Wednesday voted to sanction election officials in one Arkansas county where several hand-counted ballot mistakes occurred during the primary election.

Commissioners did not explicitly state which county’s board of election commissioners would receive the sanctions; however, only officials in Searcy County hand-counted ballots in March.

The investigation into the county that hand-counted ballots was among six that the SBEC considered at its meeting, all of which were discussed with some confidentiality. Reports remain private until 30 days after county officials accept the sanction, or deny it and prompt a public hearing.

Arkansas election board to sanction county officials over issues with hand-counted ballots

*Mary Hennigan/Arkansas Advocate*
Chris Madison, director of the State Board of Election Commissioners, leads a meeting in Little Rock on July 15, 2024.

By SARAH KELLOGG

A bill that would eliminate early voting in Arkansas on the Monday before an Election Day has failed in a Senate committee for a second time.

During a voice vote Tuesday, members of the Senate State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee did not have enough yes votes to advance Senate Bill 485. It would eliminate all early voting in Arkansas on the day before both a preferential primary or general election day.

Four members of the public spoke against the bill, including Joshua Price, an election commissioner with the Pulaski County Election Commission. He addressed claims brought up in the prior hearing on the bill suggesting that poll workers needed a day off before Election Day in order to prepare.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/bill-eliminating-early-voting-day-election-again-fails-committee

Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, again presents Senate Bill 485, to the Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee.CREDIT ARKANSAS SENATE — *Sen. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, again presents Senate Bill 485, to the Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee.*
CREDIT ARKANSAS SENATE