| 3 | 2 | | *SSS238* 03/31/2025 10:38:26 AM SSS238 |
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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 578 3 |
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| 7 | 6 | | 4 |
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| 8 | 7 | | By: Senator Hester 5 |
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| 9 | 8 | | 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 EARLY VOTING; TO 9 |
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| 13 | 12 | | ALLOW A COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS TO 10 |
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| 14 | 13 | | CLOSE CERTAIN EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS DURING INCLEMENT 11 |
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| 15 | 14 | | WEATHER; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 12 |
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| 16 | 15 | | 13 |
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| 17 | 16 | | 14 |
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| 18 | 17 | | Subtitle 15 |
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| 19 | 18 | | TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EARLY 16 |
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| 20 | 19 | | VOTING; AND TO ALLOW A COUNTY BOARD OF 17 |
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| 21 | 20 | | ELECTION COMMISSIONERS TO CLOSE CERTAIN 18 |
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| 22 | 21 | | EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS DURING INCLEMENT 19 |
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| 23 | 22 | | WEATHER. 20 |
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| 24 | 23 | | 21 |
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| 25 | 24 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22 |
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| 26 | 25 | | 23 |
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| 27 | 26 | | SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 7 -5-418, concerning early voting locations, 24 |
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| 28 | 27 | | is amended to add an additional subsection to read as follows: 25 |
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| 29 | 28 | | (h)(1) Except as provided in subdivision (h)(3) of this section, the 26 |
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| 30 | 29 | | county board of election commissioners may call an emergency meeting held in 27 |
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| 31 | 30 | | person or by electronic means to close one (1) or more early voting locations 28 |
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| 32 | 31 | | for one (1) or more days due to inclement weather. 29 |
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| 33 | 32 | | (2) An emergency meeting called under subdivision (h)(1) of this 30 |
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| 34 | 33 | | section shall require a unanimous vote by the county board of election 31 |
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| 35 | 34 | | commissioners to close an early voting location. 32 |
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| 36 | 35 | | (3) The county board of election commissioners shall not close 33 |
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| 37 | 36 | | at least one (1) early voting location in the county seat that shall remain 34 |
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| 38 | 37 | | open every day that is designated for early voting. 35 |
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| 39 | 38 | | (4) As used in this subsection, "county seat" means the same as 36 SB578 |
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| 40 | 39 | | |
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| 41 | 40 | | 2 03/31/2025 10:38:26 AM SSS238 |
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| 42 | 41 | | defined in § 14-14-301. 1 |
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| 43 | 42 | | 2 |
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| 44 | 43 | | 3 |
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