Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 264 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 292 3
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By: Senator K. Hammer 5
By: Representative Rose 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DATE OF AN 9
ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION; TO MOVE THE ANNUAL SCHOOL 10
ELECTION IF THE ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION IS SCHEDULED 11
ON A STATE HOLIDAY IN CERTAIN INSTANCES; TO DECLARE 12
AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13
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Subtitle 16
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DATE OF 17
AN ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION; TO MOVE THE 18
ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION IF THE ANNUAL 19
SCHOOL ELECTION IS SCHEDULED ON A STATE 20
HOLIDAY IN CERTAIN INSTANCES; AND TO 21
DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 22
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 24
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code ยง 6 -14-102(a)(1)(A), concerning the date of 26
the annual school election, is amended to read as follows: 27
(a)(1)(A) The annual school election shall be held in each school 28
district of the state: 29
(i) In even-numbered years, on the date of the: 30
(a) Preferential primary election; or 31
(b) General election; and 32
(ii)(a) In Except as provided in subdivision 33
(a)(1)(A)(ii)(b) of this section, in odd-numbered years, on the: 34
(a)(1) Second Tuesday in November; or 35
(b)(2) Second Tuesday in May. 36 SB292
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(b) An annual school election that is 1
scheduled to occur in a month in which the second Tuesday of the month under 2
subdivision (a)(1)(A)(ii)(a) of this section falls on a state holiday shall 3
be held on the third Tuesday of that month. 4
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SECTION 2. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 6
General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that ensuring adequate 7
participation in elections preserves the public peace, health, and safety as 8
it ensures that the results of elections fairly reflect the will of voters; 9
that the holding of elections on a state holiday prevents many voters from 10
participating in an election and could potentially lead to election results 11
that do not reflect the overall will of voters; and that this act preserves 12
the public peace, health, and safety by ensuring that the annual school 13
election will not occur on a state holiday to allow appropriate participation 14
in the election to ensure fair and accurate results. Therefore, an emergency 15
is declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the 16
preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become effective 17
on: 18
(1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 19
(2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 20
the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 21
bill; or 22
(3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 23
overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 24
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APPROVED: 3/12/25 27
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