| 4 | 2 | | *SSS139* 02/25/2025 9:07:28 AM SSS139 |
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| 5 | 3 | | State of Arkansas 1 |
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| 6 | 4 | | 95th General Assembly A Bill 2 |
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| 7 | 5 | | Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 296 3 |
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| 8 | 6 | | 4 |
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| 9 | 7 | | By: Senator K. Hammer 5 |
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| 10 | 8 | | By: Representative Beaty Jr. 6 |
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| 11 | 9 | | 7 |
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| 12 | 10 | | For An Act To Be Entitled 8 |
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| 13 | 11 | | AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DESIGNATION OF 9 |
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| 14 | 12 | | AN EARLY VOTING LOCATION BY THE COUNTY CLERK; AND FOR 10 |
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| 15 | 13 | | OTHER PURPOSES. 11 |
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| 16 | 14 | | 12 |
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| 17 | 15 | | 13 |
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| 18 | 16 | | Subtitle 14 |
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| 19 | 17 | | TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE 15 |
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| 20 | 18 | | DESIGNATION OF AN EARLY VOTING LOCATION 16 |
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| 21 | 19 | | BY THE COUNTY CLERK. 17 |
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| 22 | 20 | | 18 |
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| 23 | 21 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19 |
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| 24 | 22 | | 20 |
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| 25 | 23 | | SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-101(d)(1), concerning the establishment 21 |
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| 26 | 24 | | and alteration of precinct boundaries, polling sites, and vote centers, is 22 |
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| 27 | 25 | | amended to read as follows: 23 |
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| 28 | 26 | | (d)(1)(A) Except for school elections under § 6 -14-106, the The 24 |
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| 29 | 27 | | polling sites for each election shall be the same as those established for 25 |
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| 30 | 28 | | the immediately preceding general election unless changed by order of the 26 |
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| 31 | 29 | | county board of election commissioners. 27 |
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| 32 | 30 | | (B) Subdivision (d)(1)(A) of this section does not apply 28 |
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| 33 | 31 | | to: 29 |
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| 34 | 32 | | (i) A school election under § 6 -14-106; or 30 |
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| 35 | 33 | | (ii) An additional early voting location chosen by 31 |
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| 36 | 34 | | the county board of election commissioners. 32 |
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| 37 | 35 | | 33 |
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| 38 | 36 | | SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-401(b), concerning the duties of the 34 |
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| 39 | 37 | | county clerk, is amended to read as follows: 35 |
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| 40 | 38 | | (b) The county clerk shall be furnished a suitable room at the county 36 SB296 |
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| 41 | 39 | | |
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| 42 | 40 | | 2 02/25/2025 9:07:28 AM SSS139 |
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| 43 | 41 | | courthouse or other location within the county seat designated for the 1 |
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| 44 | 42 | | purpose of exercising all the powers and duties concerning the application 2 |
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| 45 | 43 | | for, the issuance of, and the voting of absentee and early voting ballots 3 |
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| 46 | 44 | | required by law of the county clerk. 4 |
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| 47 | 45 | | 5 |
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| 48 | 46 | | SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-418(a)(1)(A), concerning early voting, 6 |
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| 49 | 47 | | is amended to read as follows: 7 |
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| 50 | 48 | | (a)(1)(A) Except as provided in subdivision (a)(1)(B) of this section, 8 |
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| 51 | 49 | | early voting shall be available to any qualified elector who applies to the 9 |
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| 52 | 50 | | county clerk's designated early voting location within the county seat , 10 |
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| 53 | 51 | | beginning fifteen (15) days before a preferential primary or general election 11 |
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| 54 | 52 | | between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 12 |
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| 55 | 53 | | a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Saturday and ending at 5:00 p.m. on the Monday before the 13 |
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| 56 | 54 | | election. 14 |
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| 57 | 55 | | 15 |
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| 58 | 56 | | SECTION 4. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-418(b)(1)(B), concerning early voting, 16 |
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| 59 | 57 | | is amended to read as follows: 17 |
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| 60 | 58 | | (B) The For each election, the county board of election 18 |
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| 61 | 59 | | commissioners shall determine by unanimous vote the location of additional 19 |
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| 62 | 60 | | polling sites for early voting. 20 |
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| 63 | 61 | | 21 |
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| 64 | 62 | | 22 |
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