March
Contact
Kristin Higgins
Public Policy Center
Phone: 501-671-2160
Email: khiggins@uada.edu
Office:
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
2301 S. University Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72204
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
2301 S. University Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72204
Signature Canvassing Opportunities Disappearing As Events Cancel
Canvassers who rely on spring festivals and events to collect voter signatures needed to put constitutional amendments and state laws on the ballot are seeing these opportunities disappearing in light of COVID-19.
One group, Arcade Arkansas, started collecting signatures in September for its gaming
proposal. A spokesperson told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Tuesday that the spread
of COVID-19 has complicated the signature-gathering effort.
Other groups are updating their volunteers through Facebook, urging alternatives for
collecting voter signatures.
Arkansas True Grass organizers have told people on their Facebook group to request
a petition to be mailed to them, hoping people will get them signed and notarized
before sending them back. They're also asking for donations to help cover the cost
of the unexpected printing and postage.
"I wished we could somehow get legislators to provide a way for people to sign a petition
electronically," said Mary Lou Berry with Arkansas True Grass. "It would be much safer
and would help the voices of those shut in that don't go out, who do vote by absentee
ballots. Why not provide the people a way to sign electronically?"
Berry helped write another proposed constitutional amendment, The Arkansas Digital Petition Signing Option Act, to allow voters to sign petitions electronically. However they haven't started collecting
any signatures for the ballot measure yet.
Another group seeking to legalize marijuana for personal use and to address past criminal
convictions related to marijuana has also urged people on Facebook to take caution
and to take measures to keep themselves healthy and not spread the virus.
"Your lives and your family's life is much more important than signatures," Melissa
Fults posted on the Drug Policy Education Group-Arkansas page.
In an email, Fults told the Public Policy Center that signature gathering has drastically
slowed due to the precautions for the coronavirus.
"We are at 15,000 [signatures] right now, but if it breaks by May 1 we should [b]e
able to gather the required number of signatures," Fults said.
Thirteen proposed constitutional amendments and state laws have been filed with the
Secretary of State's Office for the November ballot. In addition, Arkansas legislators
have referred three amendments to voters and a group collected enough signatures for
a referendum on a 2019 state law.
Ballot issue groups have until July 3 to submit the required 89,151 voter signatures
for amendments and 71,321 voter signatures for state laws. Those signatures must come
from at least 15 different counties.
Thirteen ballot measures filed with the Secretary of State's Office. There is one
additional proposal since our February newsletter, The Arkansas Citizen's Redistricting Commission Amendment . If passed, the amendment would create a nine-member commission responsible for establishing
the boundaries of legislative and Congressional districts after the Census occurs
every 10 years.