Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas Senate Bill SB299 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2		-	Act 403 of the Regular Session
3		-	SSS117 03-10-2025 13:49:49 SSS117
4		-
5		-	State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S3/10/25 1
	2	+	SSS117 02/25/2025 11:27:47 AM SSS117
	3	+	State of Arkansas 1
6	4		95th General Assembly A Bill 2
7	5		Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 299 3
8	6		4
9	7		By: Senator K. Hammer 5
10	8		By: Representative A. Brown 6
11	9		7
12	10		For An Act To Be Entitled 8
13		-	AN ACT TO REQUIRE A STAFF MEMBER TO WITNESS AN 9
14		-	ADMINISTRATOR ASSISTING A RESIDENT OF A LONG -TERM 10
15		-	RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY WITH ABSENTEE VOTING; AND 11
16		-	FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12
17		-	13
18		-	14
19		-	Subtitle 15
20		-	TO REQUIRE A STAFF MEMBER TO WITNESS AN 16
21		-	ADMINISTRATOR ASSISTING A RESIDENT OF A 17
22		-	LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY WITH 18
23		-	ABSENTEE VOTING. 19
24		-	20
25		-	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 21
26		-	22
27		-	SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-403(d)(3), concerning designated 23
28		-	bearers, authorized agents, and administrators, is amended to read as 24
29		-	follows: 25
30		-	(3)(A) At least one (1) long -term care or residential care 26
31		-	facility staff member shall witness the administrator assist the voter by 27
32		-	marking a ballot on behalf of the voter without any comment or 28
33		-	interpretation. 29
34		-	(B) An administrator may deliver the absentee ballot to 30
35		-	the county clerk for any voter who names the administrator on his or her 31
36		-	application and voter statement. 32
37		-	(B)(C) Absentee ballots may be delivered to the county 33
38		-	clerk in person by the administrator or by mail. 34
39		-	35
40		-	SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-403(d)(4)(E), concerning designated 36 As Engrossed: S3/10/25 SB299
41		-
42		-	2 03-10-2025 13:49:49 SSS117
43		-
44		-
45		-	bearers, authorized agents, and administrators for residents of a long -term 1
46		-	care facility, is amended to read as follows: 2
47		-	(E) That the administrator understands that Arkansas law 3
48		-	requires that at least one (1) long -term care or residential care facility 4
49		-	staff member is required to witness the administrator assist the voter by 5
50		-	marking or casting a ballot on behalf of the voter without any comment or 6
51		-	interpretation. 7
52		-	8
53		-	/s/K. Hammer 9
54		-	10
55		-	11
56		-	APPROVED: 3/25/25 12
57		-	13
58		-	14
	11	+	AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING VOTER ASSISTANCE; 9
	12	+	TO REQUIRE A PERSON ASSISTING A VOTER AT A POLLING 10
	13	+	SITE TO PRESENT PHOTO IDENTIFICATION; TO REQUIRE A 11
	14	+	STAFF MEMBER TO WITNESS AN ADMINISTRATOR ASSISTING A 12
	15	+	RESIDENT OF A LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY 13
	16	+	WITH ABSENTEE VOTING; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 14
59	17		15
60	18		16
61		-	17
62		-	18
63		-	19
	19	+	Subtitle 17
	20	+	TO REQUIRE A PERSON ASSISTING A VOTER TO 18
	21	+	PRESENT PHOTO IDENTIFICATION; AND TO 19
	22	+	REQUIRE A STAFF MEMBER TO WITNESS AN 20
	23	+	ADMINISTRATOR ASSISTING A RESIDENT OF A 21
	24	+	LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY WITH 22
	25	+	ABSENTEE VOTING. 23
	26	+	24
	27	+	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 25
	28	+	26
	29	+	SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-310(b)(2)(B), concerning who may assist 27
	30	+	voters with disabilities at the polling machine, is amended to read as 28
	31	+	follows: 29
	32	+	(B) A person named by the voter who: 30
	33	+	(i) Is present in the polling site; and 31
	34	+	(ii) Presents a document or identification card that 32
	35	+	meets the requirements of Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 51, § 13 . 33
	36	+	34
	37	+	SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-310(b)(5), concerning assisting voters 35
	38	+	with disabilities, is amended to read as follows: 36 SB299
	39	+
	40	+	2 02/25/2025 11:27:47 AM SSS117
	41	+	(5)(A) It shall be the duty of the poll workers at the polling 1
	42	+	site to make and maintain a list of the names and addresses of all persons 2
	43	+	assisting voters. 3
	44	+	(B) The list shall contain the name of the assistor as it 4
	45	+	appears on the document or identification card presented by the assistor 5
	46	+	under subdivision (b)(2)(B) of this section. 6
	47	+	7
	48	+	SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-403(d)(3), concerning designated 8
	49	+	bearers, authorized agents, and administrators, is amended to read as 9
	50	+	follows: 10
	51	+	(3)(A) At least one (1) long -term care or residential care 11
	52	+	facility staff member shall witness the administrator assist the voter by 12
	53	+	marking or delivering a ballot on behalf of the voter without any comment or 13
	54	+	interpretation. 14
	55	+	(B) An administrator may deliver the absentee ballot to 15
	56	+	the county clerk for any voter who names the administrator on his or her 16
	57	+	application and voter statement. 17
	58	+	(B)(C) Absentee ballots may be delivered to the county 18
	59	+	clerk in person by the administrator or by mail. 19
64	60		20
65		-	21
66		-	22
67		-	23
68		-	24
69		-	25
70		-	26
71		-	27
72		-	28
	61	+	SECTION 4. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-403(d)(4)(E), concerning designated 21
	62	+	bearers, authorized agents, and administrators for residents of a long -term 22
	63	+	care facility, is amended to read as follows: 23
	64	+	(E) That the administrator understands that Arkansas law 24
	65	+	requires that at least one (1) long -term care or residential care facility 25
	66	+	staff member is required to witness the administrator assist the voter by 26
	67	+	marking or casting delivering a ballot on behalf of the voter without any 27
	68	+	comment or interpretation. 28
73	69		29
74	70		30
75	71		31
76	72		32
77	73		33
78	74		34
79	75		35
80	76		36