Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 284 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H3/6/25 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 308 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 A WRITE -IN 9
CANDIDATE; TO REMOVE REFERENCES TO A WRITE -IN 10
CANDIDATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 11
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Subtitle 14
TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING A WRITE -IN 15
CANDIDATE; AND TO REMOVE REFERENCES TO A 16
WRITE-IN CANDIDATE. 17
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 19
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SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 7 -4-109(c)(2)(A), concerning the 21
qualifications of state and county commissioners, election officials, poll 22
workers, and certified election monitors, is amended to read as follows: 23
(2)(A) Except as provided in subdivision (c)(2)(B) of this 24
section, a person serving on the county board of election commissioners shall 25
not participate in the campaign of any candidate listed on a ballot or of a 26
write-in candidate seeking election in that county that falls under the 27
county board of election commissioners’ jurisdiction or authority. 28
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SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-416(e)(2)(A) and (B), concerning the 30
counting of absentee ballots, are amended to read as follows: 31
(2)(A) The ballots shall first be counted for write -in votes by 32
the election officials. 33
(B) Then, at At the discretion of the county board of 34
election commissioners, the ballots may be either hand counted or counted on 35
an electronic vote tabulating device. 36 As Engrossed: H3/6/25 SB308
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SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-615(e), concerning the tabulation of 2
votes, defective ballots, and certification of returns, is amended to read as 3
follows: 4
(e) The return printed by the electronic vote tabulating device, to 5
which the return of write-in, early, and absentee votes have been added, 6
shall constitute the official return of each polling site. All returns shall 7
be certified by the election officials in charge of the tabulation thereof in 8
the manner provided by law. 9
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SECTION 4. Arkansas Code § 7 -6-102(a)(4), concerning the political 11
practices pledge and penalty for falsification, is repealed. 12
(4) Write-in candidates shall file the political practices 13
pledge at the time of filing the notice to be a write -in candidate. 14
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SECTION 5. Arkansas Code § 7 -11-102(9), concerning content of the 16
calling document for an election to fill a vacancy, is repealed. 17
(9) The deadline for filing as a write -in candidate if 18
applicable; 19
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/s/K. Hammer 21
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APPROVED: 3/12/25 24
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