Arkansas Supreme Court upholds election rule changes made in 2021

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday (May 16) upheld four state laws that placed new limits and rules on election procedures. The court’s majority opinion reversed a ruling from Pulaski County Circuit Judge Wendell Griffin who had overturned the provisions.

The laws, approved by the Arkansas Legislature in 2021, were Acts 249, 728, 736 and 973 of 2021. While complex, the Acts establish the following new procedures.
• County clerks must verify a signature on an absentee ballot with the voter’s registration signature.

• Reduce the time for delivery of in-person absentee ballots.

• Voters submitting a provisional ballot must show a photo ID by the Monday after the vote or the ballot will be rejected.

• People will not be allowed to loiter or stand within 100 feet of a polling site.

The rules were implemented following allegations of widespread irregularities in the 2020 general election. More than 60 legal challenges and numerous investigations found no validity to the claims of election fraud.

Arkansas Supreme Court upholds election rule changes made in 2021