| 3 | 2 | | *SSS137* 02/25/2025 8:55:39 AM SSS137 |
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| 4 | 3 | | State of Arkansas 1 |
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| 5 | 4 | | 95th General Assembly A Bill 2 |
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| 6 | 5 | | Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 292 3 |
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| 7 | 6 | | 4 |
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| 8 | 7 | | By: Senator K. Hammer 5 |
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| 9 | 8 | | By: Representative Rose 6 |
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| 10 | 9 | | 7 |
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| 11 | 10 | | For An Act To Be Entitled 8 |
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| 12 | 11 | | AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DATE OF AN 9 |
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| 13 | 12 | | ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION; TO MOVE THE ANNUAL SCHOOL 10 |
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| 14 | 13 | | ELECTION IF THE ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION IS SCHEDULED 11 |
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| 15 | 14 | | ON A STATE HOLIDAY IN CERTAIN INSTANCES; TO DECLARE 12 |
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| 16 | 15 | | AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13 |
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| 17 | 16 | | 14 |
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| 18 | 17 | | 15 |
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| 19 | 18 | | Subtitle 16 |
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| 20 | 19 | | TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DATE OF 17 |
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| 21 | 20 | | AN ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION; TO MOVE THE 18 |
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| 22 | 21 | | ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION IF THE ANNUAL 19 |
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| 23 | 22 | | SCHOOL ELECTION IS SCHEDULED ON A STATE 20 |
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| 24 | 23 | | HOLIDAY IN CERTAIN INSTANCES; AND TO 21 |
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| 25 | 24 | | DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. 22 |
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| 26 | 25 | | 23 |
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| 27 | 26 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 24 |
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| 28 | 27 | | 25 |
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| 29 | 28 | | SECTION 1. Arkansas Code ยง 6 -14-102(a)(1)(A), concerning the date of 26 |
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| 30 | 29 | | the annual school election, is amended to read as follows: 27 |
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| 31 | 30 | | (a)(1)(A) The annual school election shall be held in each school 28 |
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| 32 | 31 | | district of the state: 29 |
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| 33 | 32 | | (i) In even-numbered years, on the date of the: 30 |
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| 34 | 33 | | (a) Preferential primary election; or 31 |
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| 35 | 34 | | (b) General election; and 32 |
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| 36 | 35 | | (ii)(a) In Except as provided in subdivision 33 |
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| 37 | 36 | | (a)(1)(A)(ii)(b) of this section, in odd-numbered years, on the: 34 |
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| 38 | 37 | | (a)(1) Second Tuesday in November; or 35 |
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| 39 | 38 | | (b)(2) Second Tuesday in May. 36 SB292 |
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| 40 | 39 | | |
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| 41 | 40 | | 2 02/25/2025 8:55:39 AM SSS137 |
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| 42 | 41 | | (b) An annual school election that is 1 |
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| 43 | 42 | | scheduled to occur in a month in which the second Tuesday of the month under 2 |
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| 44 | 43 | | subdivision (a)(1)(A)(ii)(a) of this section falls on a state holiday shall 3 |
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| 45 | 44 | | be held on the third Tuesday of that month. 4 |
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| 46 | 45 | | 5 |
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| 47 | 46 | | SECTION 2. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the 6 |
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| 48 | 47 | | General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that ensuring adequate 7 |
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| 49 | 48 | | participation in elections preserves the public peace, health, and safety as 8 |
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| 50 | 49 | | it ensures that the results of elections fairly reflect the will of voters; 9 |
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| 51 | 50 | | that the holding of elections on a state holiday prevents many voters from 10 |
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| 52 | 51 | | participating in an election and could potentially lead to election results 11 |
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| 53 | 52 | | that do not reflect the overall will of voters; and that this act preserves 12 |
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| 54 | 53 | | the public peace, health, and safety by ensuring that the annual school 13 |
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| 55 | 54 | | election will not occur on a state holiday to allow appropriate participation 14 |
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| 56 | 55 | | in the election to ensure fair and accurate results. Therefore, an emergency 15 |
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| 57 | 56 | | is declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the 16 |
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| 58 | 57 | | preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become effective 17 |
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| 59 | 58 | | on: 18 |
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| 60 | 59 | | (1) The date of its approval by the Governor; 19 |
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| 61 | 60 | | (2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, 20 |
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| 62 | 61 | | the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the 21 |
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| 63 | 62 | | bill; or 22 |
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| 64 | 63 | | (3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is 23 |
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| 65 | 64 | | overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto. 24 |
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| 66 | 65 | | 25 |
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| 67 | 66 | | 26 |
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