Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1884 3
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By: Representative Long 5
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE MARKING AND 9
COUNTING OF PAPER BALLOTS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 10
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Subtitle 13
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE MARKING 14
AND COUNTING OF PAPER BALLOTS. 15
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 17
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-601(i), concerning the form of paper 19
ballots, is amended to read as follows: 20
(i) Each paper ballot to be hand counted shall contain a watermark or 21
an ultraviolet ink seal on the ballot with a unique placement of the 22
watermark or an ultraviolet ink seal for each election cycle. 23
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-603(4), concerning the counting of 25
paper ballots, is amended to read as follows: 26
(4)(A) Upon Except as otherwise provided under subdivision 27
(4)(E) of this section, upon the close of the polls, the poll workers 28
immediately shall certify and attest the list of voters and continue the 29
count to completion, within twenty -four (24) hours of the close of the polls, 30
and with no significant breaks in the counting process. 31
(B)(i) A hand count of paper ballots shall be completed a 32
minimum of twenty-four (24) hours before the certification deadline. 33
(ii) If the hand count of paper ballots is not 34
completed a minimum of twenty -four (24) hours before the certification 35
deadline, the machine tabulated results under subdivision (1) of this section 36 HB1884
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shall be the certified results of the election. 1
(C)(i) If a poll worker becomes sick or incapacitated from 2
any other cause, the remaining poll workers shall continue the count until it 3
is completed. 4
(ii) The county board of election commissioners 5
shall ensure there is a minimum of four (4) poll workers available to 6
continue the count. 7
(D) All hand-count paper ballot totals shall be recorded 8
by race in each precinct, and posted at the designated hand -count location 9
upon the completion of the hand count of the paper ballots . 10
(E) Poll workers may be exempt from counting to completion 11
under this subdivision (4)(A) if, while the paper ballots are not being 12
counted, the paper ballots: 13
(i) Remain sealed in a double -locking hard shell 14
ballot box; and 15
(ii) Are stored in a locked room that is guarded by 16
a sheriff's deputy at all times ; 17
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