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Arkansas Code Title 7. Elections § 7-9-111. Determination of sufficiency of petition--Corrections

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

(a) The Secretary of State shall ascertain and declare the sufficiency or insufficiency of the signatures submitted on each statewide initiative petition and each statewide referendum petition within thirty (30) days after it is filed.

(b) The Secretary of State may contract with the various county clerks for their assistance in verifying the signatures on petitions. The county clerk shall return the petitions to the Secretary of State within ten (10) days.

(c) If the statewide initiative petition or statewide referendum petition is found to be sufficient, the Secretary of State shall certify and record the finding and perform such other duties relating thereto as are required by law.

(d)(1) If the signatures submitted on a statewide initiative petition or statewide referendum petition are found to be insufficient, the Secretary of State shall forthwith notify the sponsors in writing, through their designated agent, and shall set forth his or her reasons for so finding. When the notice is delivered, the sponsors shall have thirty (30) days in which to do any or all of the following:

(A) Solicit and obtain additional signatures; or

(B) Submit proof to show that the rejected signatures or some of them are good and should be counted.

(2) Any amendments and corrections shall not materially change the purpose and effect of the statewide initiative petition or statewide referendum petition. No change shall be made in the measure.

(3) The Secretary of State shall ascertain and declare the sufficiency or insufficiency of additional signatures submitted by the sponsors under this subsection within thirty (30) days of the filing of the supplemental petitions.

(e)(1) To assist the Secretary of State in ascertaining the sufficiency or insufficiency of each statewide initiative petition and each statewide referendum petition, all county clerks shall furnish at cost to the Secretary of State a single alphabetical list of all registered voters in their respective counties. The list shall be provided at least four (4) months before the election, and an updated list shall be provided at cost by September 1 in the year of the election. The list shall include the date of birth of each registered voter.

(2) The State Board of Election Commissioners, upon the request of the county clerk, may grant a waiver from this provision if the board determines that the county clerk is unable to provide the list within the time required.

(f)(1) A person filing statewide initiative petitions or statewide referendum petitions with the Secretary of State shall bundle the petitions by county and shall file an affidavit stating the number of petitions and the total number of signatures being filed.

(2) If signatures were obtained by paid canvassers, the person filing the petitions under this subsection shall also submit the following:

(A) A statement identifying the paid canvassers by name; and

(B) A statement signed by the sponsor indicating that the sponsor:

(i) Provided a copy of the most recent edition of the Secretary of State's initiatives and referenda handbook to each paid canvasser before the paid canvasser solicited signatures; and

(ii) Explained the requirements under Arkansas law for obtaining signatures on an initiative or referendum petition to each paid canvasser before the paid canvasser solicited signatures.

(g) All county initiative and referendum elections shall be held in accordance with the provisions of § 14-14-917.

(h) Municipal referendum petition measures shall be submitted to the electors at a regular general election unless the petition expressly calls for a special election. If the date set by the petition does not allow sufficient time to comply with election procedures, then the city or town council shall fix the date for any special election on the referendum measure. The date of any special election shall be set in accordance with § 7-11-201 et seq. but in no event more than one hundred twenty (120) calendar days after the date of certification of sufficiency by the municipal clerk.

(i) [Repealed by Acts of 2023, Act 194, § 3, eff. March 6, 2023.]

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Arkansas Code Title 7. Elections § 7-9-111. Determination of sufficiency of petition--Corrections - last updated March 28, 2024 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ar/title-7-elections/ar-code-sect-7-9-111/

Read this complete Arkansas Code Title 7. Elections § 7-9-111. Determination of sufficiency of petition--Corrections on Westlaw

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