Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 405 of the Regular Session
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State of Arkansas As Engrossed: S3/10/25 S3/12/25 1
95th General Assembly A Bill 2
Regular Session, 2025 SENATE BILL 353 3
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By: Senator Hester 5
By: Representative Wooldridge 6
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For An Act To Be Entitled 8
AN ACT TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE DATES FOR 9
ELECTIONS; TO AMEND THE DATES OF PRIMARY ELECTIONS, 10
SCHOOL ELECTIONS, AND CERTAIN SPECIAL ELECTIONS; TO 11
CHANGE THE DATE OF THE FISCAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL 12
ASSEMBLY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 13
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Subtitle 16
TO AMEND ARKANSAS LAW CONCERNING THE 17
DATES FOR ELECTIONS; TO AMEND THE DATES 18
OF PRIMARY ELECTIONS, SCHOOL ELECTIONS, 19
AND CERTAIN SPECIAL ELECTIONS; AND TO 20
CHANGE THE DATE OF THE FISCAL SESSION OF 21
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 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 § 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 district 28
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) In odd-numbered years, on the: 33
(a) Second Tuesday in November; or 34
(b) Second Tuesday in May First Tuesday after 35
the first Monday in March . 36 As Engrossed: S3/10/25 S3/12/25 SB353
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1
SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 6 -14-111(k), concerning candidate filing 2
procedures for school elections, is amended to read as follows: 3
(k) The order in which the names of the respective candidates are to 4
appear on the ballot shall be determined by lot at the public meeting of the 5
county board of election commissioners held not later than: 6
(1) The deadline to conduct the ballot draw for the preferential 7
primary or general election for an annual school election held in even -8
numbered years; and 9
(2) The seventh day of March for Eighty-nine (89) days before an 10
annual school election held on the second first Tuesday after the first 11
Monday in May March of an odd-numbered year; and 12
(3) Seventy-two (72) days before an annual school election held 13
on the second Tuesday of November of an odd -numbered year. 14
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SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 7 -7-203(a) and (b), concerning the dates of 16
the general primary election and preferential primary election, are amended 17
to read as follows: 18
(a) The general primary election shall be held : 19
(1) For years in which the office of Governor will appear on the 20
ballot at the general election, on the third Tuesday in June preceding the 21
general election; and 22
(2) For years in which the office of President of the United 23
States will appear on the ballot at the general election, on the Tuesday four 24
(4) weeks following the preferential primary election. 25
(b) The preferential primary election shall be held : 26
(1) For years in which the office of Governor will appear on the 27
ballot at the general election, on the Tuesday four (4) weeks before the 28
general primary election; and 29
(2) For years in which the office of President of the United 30
States will appear on the ballot at the general election, on the first 31
Tuesday after the first Monday in March. 32
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SECTION 4. Arkansas Code § 7-7-203(c)(1), concerning the dates of the 34
general primary election and preferential primary election, is amended to 35
read as follows: 36 As Engrossed: S3/10/25 S3/12/25 SB353
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(c)(1) The party filing period shall be a one -week period beginning 1
and ending on the following dates and times: 2
(A) For years in which the office of Governor will appear 3
on the ballot at the general election, beginning at 12:00 noon one (1) week 4
prior to the first day in March and ending at 12:00 noon on the second day in 5
March; and 6
(B) For years in which the office of President of the 7
United States will appear on the ballot at the general election, beginning at 8
12:00 noon on the first Monday in November preceding the general primary 9
election and ending at 12:00 noon on the eighth day thereafter. 10
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SECTION 5. Arkansas Code § 7 -7-304(a)(1), concerning the names to be 12
included on the ballots in a preferential primary, is amended to read as 13
follows: 14
(a)(1) The Secretary of State shall certify to all county boards of 15
election commissioners full lists of the names of all candidates who have 16
filed party certificates with him or her to be placed on the ballots in their 17
respective counties at the preferential primary election not less than : 18
(A) Seventy-five (75) days before a preferential primary 19
election that is held in May under § 7 -7-203; and 20
(B) Ninety-two ninety-two (92) days before a preferential 21
primary election that is held in March under § 7 -7-203. 22
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SECTION 6. Arkansas Code § 7 -7-304(b)(1), concerning the names to be 24
included on the ballots in a preferential primary, is amended to read as 25
follows: 26
(b)(1) The county clerk shall certify to the county board of election 27
commissioners full lists of the names of all candidates who have filed party 28
certificates with him or her to be placed on the ballot at the preferential 29
primary election not less than : 30
(A) Seventy-five (75) days before a preferential primary 31
election that is held in May under § 7 -7-203; and 32
(B) Ninety-two ninety-two (92) days before a preferential 33
primary election that is held in March under § 7 -7-203. 34
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SECTION 7. Arkansas Code § 7 -7-305(b)(1), concerning the printing of 36 As Engrossed: S3/10/25 S3/12/25 SB353
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ballots and draw for ballot position, is amended to read as follows: 1
(b)(1) The order in which the names of the respective candidates are 2
to appear on the ballots at all preferential and general primary elections 3
shall be determined by lot at the public meeting of the county board of 4
election commissioners held not later than : 5
(A) Seventy-two (72) days before a preferential primary 6
election that is held in May under § 7 -7-203; and 7
(B) Eighty-nine eighty-nine (89) days before a 8
preferential primary election that is held in March under § 7 -7-203. 9
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SECTION 8. Arkansas Code § 7-11-205(a), concerning dates of special 11
elections on measures and questions, is amended to read as follows: 12
(a)(1) Except as provided in subdivision (a)(2) of this section, 13
all special elections on measures or questions referred to the voters by 14
governmental entities as authorized by law shall be held on the second 15
Tuesday of: 16
(A) First Tuesday after the first Monday in March or 17
November in a year when a presidential election is held ; and or 18
(B) May or Second Tuesday of November of all other years. 19
(2)(A) Special elections scheduled to occur in a month in which 20
the second Tuesday is on a legal holiday: 21
(i) In March on the first Tuesday after the first 22
Monday shall be held on the second Tuesday of the month; and 23
(ii) In November on the second Tuesday shall be held 24
on the third Tuesday of the month. 25
(B) Special elections held in months in which a 26
preferential primary election or general election is scheduled to occur shall 27
be held on the date of the preferential primary election or general election. 28
(C) A special election on a measure or question may be 29
scheduled on the second Tuesday of a month, other than the months provided in 30
subdivision (a)(1) of this section, if necessary to comply with the 31
requirements of Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, § 1. 32
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SECTION 9. Arkansas Code § 10 -2-101(b)(1), concerning the time for 34
meeting by the General Assembly in fiscal session, is amended to read as 35
follows: 36 As Engrossed: S3/10/25 S3/12/25 SB353
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(b)(1) The General Assembly shall meet in a fiscal session to consider 1
appropriation bills in each even -numbered year at 12:00 noon on the : 2
(A) Second Monday in February in years in which the 3
preferential primary election is held in May under § 7 -7-203; and 4
(B) Second second Wednesday in April in years in which the 5
preferential primary election is held in March under § 7 -7-203. 6
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SECTION 10. Arkansas Code § 10-2-112(a)(1), concerning the prefiling 8
of bills and resolutions, is amended to read as follows: 9
(a)(1) The Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives and the 10
Secretary of the Senate, under the direction and supervision of the Speaker 11
of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, 12
shall establish a system for the prefiling of bills and resolutions beginning 13
on: 14
(A) November 15 of each year preceding a regular session 15
of the General Assembly; and 16
(B) The second Monday of January of each year of a fiscal 17
session of the General Assembly which is held in a year in which the 18
preferential primary election is held in May under § 7 -7-203; and 19
(C) The second Monday of March of each year of a fiscal 20
session of the General Assembly which is held in a year in which the 21
preferential primary election is held in March under § 7 -7-203. 22
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SECTION 11. Arkansas Code § 10 -3-2104(d)(3), concerning reports under 24
the Continuing Advocacy Evaluation Act of 2004, is amended to read as 25
follows: 26
(3) If the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee 27
on Education find that the recommendations in the most recent adequacy 28
evaluation report filed under this section should be amended, the House 29
Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education, jointly or 30
separately, or both, shall advise in writing the President Pro Tempore of the 31
Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of their findings and 32
amendments to the adequacy evaluation report : 33
(A) By November 1 of the calendar year before the 34
beginning of a fiscal session that is held in a year in which the 35
preferential primary election is held in May under § 7 -7-203; and 36 As Engrossed: S3/10/25 S3/12/25 SB353
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(B) By by March 1 of the calendar year before the 1
beginning of a fiscal session that is held in a year in which the 2
preferential primary election is held in March under § 7 -7-203. 3
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SECTION 12. Arkansas Code § 19 -4-304(b), concerning regular and fiscal 5
session preparations, is amended to read as follows: 6
(b) The secretary shall submit the annual revenue forecast to the 7
Legislative Council: 8
(1) By December 1 of the year preceding a fiscal session that is 9
held in a year in which the preferential primary election will be held in May 10
under § 7-7-203; 11
(2) By February 1 of a year preceding a fiscal session that is 12
held in a year in which the preferential primary election is held in March 13
under § 7-7-203; and 14
(3)(2) No later than sixty (60) days before the start of a 15
regular session. 16
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/s/Hester 18
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APPROVED: 3/25/25 21
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