Signed by Governor Asa Hutchinson

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

A vote to pass a bill that amends the complaint process for election law violations and the authority and duties of the state board of election commissioners.

Highlights:

• Defines “election law” as the United States Constitution, Arkansas constitution, statutes, final court decisions of general applicability, and the rules of the United States and Arkansas concerning election regulations (Sec. 2k).

• Authorizes the State Board of Election Commissioners to institute corrective actions for violations of election and voter registration laws (Sec. 2a).

• Specifies that complaints of election law violations must be filed between the date of delivery for mail-in ballots and thirty days after the certification of an election (Sec. 2b).

• Requires that the complainant state the date and location of the incident as well as the desired resolution (Sec. 2b).

• Authorizes the Board of Election Commissioners to inform the complainant that other resolutions may be appropriate (Sec. 2b).

• Requires that the Board of Election Commissioners notify the complainant of any necessary corrections to the complaint and dismiss the complaint if corrections are not filed within ten days (Sec. 2b).

• Authorizes the Board of Election Commissioners to subpoena any person or information relevant to the investigation (Sec. 2b).

• Authorizes the Board of Election Commissioners to issue a conditional warning of consequences if violations are not corrected (Sec. 2e).

• Requires that the Board of Election Commissioners inform the complainant and the subject of the complaint of any final action or sanctions taken (Sec. 2g).

• Requires the Board of Election Commissioners to announce its final action as a final administrative decision (Sec. 2i).

• Requires that the county board of election commissioners determine the necessary expenses to conduct a free and fair election (Sec. 3c).

• Requires the county board of election commissioners to prepare an election budget estimate of the expenses of all anticipated elections for the county fiscal year (Sec. 3c).

• Authorizes the county board of election commissioners to identify and request line-item budget support from an elected county official who is deemed by a majority vote of the board to have made an appropriate estimate of the necessary election expenses (Sec. 3c).

• Specifies that the county board of election commissioners may accept in-kind support from other county departments, agencies, and resources if the expenses necessary to conduct free and fair elections can be met in this way (Sec. 3c).

Full Bill Text