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Arkansas Code Title 7. Elections § 7-9-109. Form of verification--Penalty for false statement

Current as of March 28, 2024 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) Each petition containing signatures shall be verified in substantially the following form by the canvasser's affidavit thereon as a part thereof:

“State of Arkansas

County of ______________

I, (print name of canvasser), being duly sworn, state that each of the foregoing persons signed his or her own name to this sheet of the petition in my presence. To the best of my knowledge and belief, each signature is genuine and each signer is a registered voter of the State of Arkansas, ___________County, or City or Incorporated Town of______________________________. At all times during the circulation of this signature sheet, an exact copy of the popular name, ballot title, and text was attached to the signature sheet. My current residence address is correctly stated below.

Signature ___________________________________________

Current residence _______________________________

Indicate one: ___Paid Canvasser ______Volunteer/Unpaid Canvasser

Subscribed and sworn to before me this ____day of_________, 20___

Signature ______________________________________________________

Clerk, Notary, Judge, or J.P.

Seal ___________________ ”.

(b) Forms herein given are not mandatory, and if substantially followed in any petition it shall be sufficient, disregarding clerical and merely technical errors.

(c)(1) Petitions shall not be disqualified due to clerical or technical errors made by a clerk, notary, judge, or justice of the peace when verifying the canvasser's signature.

(2) Petitions shall not be disqualified for failure of a clerk, notary, judge, or justice of the peace to sign exactly as his or her name appears on his or her seal if the signature of a clerk, notary, judge, or justice of the peace is sufficient to verify his or her name.

(d) A canvasser who knowingly makes a false statement on a petition verification form required by this section shall be deemed guilty of a Class D felony.

(e) A canvasser who witnesses signatures on a petition part but knowingly allows another canvasser who did not witness all signatures on a petition part to execute a false verification affidavit with respect to that petition part commits a Class D felony.

(f) A sponsor, sponsor's agent, or representative commits a Class D felony if a sponsor, sponsor's agent, or representative:

(1) Knowingly pays a canvasser for petitioner signatures on a petition part not personally witnessed by that paid canvasser; or

(2) Knowingly submits to the Secretary of State a petition part where the verifying canvasser has not witnessed each signature on that petition part.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Arkansas Code Title 7. Elections § 7-9-109. Form of verification--Penalty for false statement - last updated March 28, 2024 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ar/title-7-elections/ar-code-sect-7-9-109/

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