Tracking Arkansas 2024 Ballot Issues

Oct. 10, 2023

An Act to Exempt Feminine Hygiene Products and Diapers from Sales and Use Tax

A proposal to exempt period products and diapers from local and state sales tax was approved for signature gathering, according to Opinion No. 2023-092.

David Couch of Little Rock

State law

Jan. 12, 2024

The Absentee Voting Amendment of 2024

A proposal that would in part allow only the voter to handle their absentee ballot, and would also prohibit online voting, was approved for signature gathering, according to Opinion No. 2023-132.

Clinton Lancaster of LIttle Rock

Constitutional amendment

Jan. 23, 2024

Arkansas Abortion Amendment

A proposal that would allow abortion was approved for signature gathering, according to Opinion No. 2024-004

Steven Nichols of Little Rock 

Constitutional amendment

Jan. 24, 2024

The Arkansas Government Openness Amendment

David Couch of Little Rock and Jen Standerfer of Bentonville

Constitutional amendment

Jan. 24, 2024

The Arkansas Government Disclosure Amendment

David Couch of Little Rock and Jen Standerfer of Bentonville

Constitutional amendment

Jan. 24, 2024

The Open Meetings and Open Records in State and Local Government Amendment

David Couch of Little Rock and Jen Standerfer of Bentonville

Constitutional amendment

Jan. 24, 2024

The Arkansas Government Disclosure Amendment of 2024.

David Couch of Little Rock and Jen Standerfer of Bentonville

Constitutional amendment

Jan. 29, 2024

The Arkansas Government Disclosure Act

David Couch of Little Rock and Jen Standerfer of Bentonville

State law

Feb. 2, 2024

The Arkansas Historic or Special Interest Vehicle Act of 2024

David Dinwiddie of Pine Bluff

State law

Feb. 20, 2024

Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024

Erika Gee of Little Rock

Constitutional amendment

Feb. 29, 2024

Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024

Stephen Lancaster of Little Rock

Constitutional amendment

March 1, 2024

The Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment of 2024 

Bill Kopsky of Little Rock

Constitutional amendment

March 20, 2024

An amendment requiring local voter approval in a countywide special
election for certain new casino licenses and repealing authority to issue a
casino license in Pope County, Arkansas.

Elizabeth Robben Murray of Little Rock

Constitutional amendment

Sept. 25, 2023

An Act to Exempt Feminine Hygiene Products from Sales and Use Tax

A proposal to exempt period products from local and state sales tax was rejected because of ambiguities in the text, according to Opinion No. 2023-084.

David Couch of Little Rock

State law

Nov. 28, 2023

The Arkansas Reproductive Healthcare Amendment

A proposal to prevent state government from prohibiting, penalizing, delaying or restricting access to abortion was rejected due to issues with the definitions of several terms and for partisan and misleading language, according to Opinion No. 2023-107.

Nov. 29, 2023

An amendment to the Arkansas Constitution to conduct all elections by paper ballots containing inherent security features which protect the integrity and authenticity of an official ballot, with vote selections marked by hand using permanent ink placed directly on the ballot by the voter (except when otherwise required by federal law), permitting the counting of election day votes only after the polls close on election day, requiring the vote count to be verified by human intelligence before certification of the vote, requiring that all elections in this State be conducted by voters selecting only one candidate or issue per race with the winner determined by which candidate or issue receives the majority plus at least one vote of the total votes, preserving the special runoff system, ensuring that elections cannot be conducted in this state using an internet, Bluetooth, or wireless connection, and allocating funding to ensure free, fair, and secure elections.

A proposal to require elections in Arkansas to take place via paper ballot and to prohibit instant voting runoffs in the state, among other things, was rejected because of problems in the text of the proposed constitutional amendment and partisan language, according to Opinion No. 2023-108. 

Clinton Lancaster of LIttle Rock

Nov. 29, 2023

An Amendment to the Arkansas Constitution to set the time for absentee voting, create absentee voting procedures, determine the manner in which absentee ballots are counted or tabulated, and ensure that elections cannot be conducted in this state using an internet, Bluetooth, or wireless connection. 

A proposal to change Amendment 50's procedures for absentee voting was rejected because of multiple ambiguities in the popular name and ballot title, according to Opinion No. 2023-109.

Clinton Lancaster of LIttle Rock

Constitutional amendment

A proposed constitutional amendment related to public meetings, notices and records was rejected because the ballot title did not define certain terms or include parts of existing law referenced, according to Opinion No. 2023-123.

A proposed constitutional amendment related to public meetings, notices and records was rejected because the ballot title did not define certain terms or include parts of existing law referenced, according to Opinion No. 2023-124.

A proposed constitutional amendment related to public meetings, notices and records was rejected because the ballot title did not define certain terms or include parts of existing law referenced, according to Opinion No. 2023-125.

A proposed constitutional amendment related to public meetings, notices and records was rejected because the ballot title did not define certain terms or include parts of existing law referenced, according to Opinion No. 2023-126.

Note: The four proposed ballot titles filed by David Couch and Jen Standerfer for a constitutional amendment vary slightly. The biggest difference among them are the popular names.

A proposal regarding public records, notices and meetings, along with the creation of a new commission, was rejected because the ballot title did not inform voters the impact on existing state law, according to Opinion No. 2023-127.

A proposal regarding public records, notices and meetings, along with the creation of a new commission, was rejected because the ballot title did not inform voters the impact on existing state law, according to Opinion No. 2023-128.

A proposal regarding public records, notices and meetings, along with the creation of a new commission, was rejected because the ballot title did not inform voters the impact on existing state law, according to Opinion No. 2023-129.

A proposal regarding public records, notices and meetings, along with the creation of a new commission, was rejected because the ballot title did not inform voters the impact on existing state law, according to Opinion No. 2023-130. 

Note: The four proposed ballot titles filed by David Couch and Jen Standerfer for an initiated act (state law) vary slightly. The biggest difference among them are the popular names.

A proposal to require every school that receives public funds to meet the same academic standards was rejected in part because the standards might prevent religious schools from offering religious education that's not allowed in public schools, according to Opinion No. 2023-131.

A proposal to require elections in Arkansas to take place via paper ballot and to prohibit instant voting runoffs in the state, among other things, was rejected in part over how the term disability was defined, according to Opinion No. 2023-133. 

A proposal regarding public records, notices and meetings, along with the creation of a new commission, was rejected because part of the language was misleading, according to Opinion No. 2024-009.

A proposal regarding public records, notices and meetings, along with the creation of a new commission, was rejected because part of the language was misleading, according to Opinion No. 2024-010.

A proposal regarding public records, notices and meetings, along with the creation of a new commission, was rejected because part of the language was misleading, according to Opinion No. 2024-011.

A proposal regarding public records, notices and meetings, along with the creation of a new commission, was rejected because part of the language was misleading, according to Opinion No. 2024-012.

A proposal regarding public records, notices and meetings, along with the creation of a new commission, was rejected because part of the language was misleading, according to Opinion No. 2024-013.

Note: The five proposed ballot titles filed by David Couch and Jen Standerfer for an initiated act (state law) vary slightly. The biggest difference among them are the popular names.

A proposal to expand the state's medical marijuana law was rejected because of undefined terms and ambiguities that don't tell voters what would change, according to Opinion No. 2024-014.

A proposal to require every school receiving public funds meet the same academic and accreditation standards was rejected because of ambiguities in the ballot title, according to Opinion No. 2024-019. 

A proposal regarding the state's ballot initiative process was rejected because of ambiguities in the text related to the state Supreme Court, according to Opinion No. 2024-026.

A proposal to remove Pope County from a constitutional amendment allowing casinos in Arkansas and calling for local elections on future casinos was rejected because of missing information and a title that references existing law by statute without explaining it, according to Opinion No. 2024-034.

A constitutional making recreational marijuana use and sales legal in Arkansas for adults 21 and older was rejected in part because the ballot title referenced existing laws without including the full details of the laws, according to Opinion No. 2024-050.