Arkansas Legislators Want Citizen Ballot Titles to Meet 8th Grade Reading Level Test

by Kristin Higgins - March 21, 2025

Arkansas legislators are debating a new law to require summaries of citizen initiatives be written for the 8th grade reading level, making it easier for voters to understand the policies they're being asked to vote on. The standards wouldn't apply to legislative ballot titles.

Opponents to House Bill 1713 pointed out in House committee hearings that while the sponsor's intent was admirable, the necessary phrase "an Amendment to the Arkansas Constitution” found in ballot titles fails the 8^th grade reading level requirement.

Under House Bill 1713, the wording of new constitutional amendments and state laws would have to meet standards for an 8^th grade reading level on the Flesch Kincaid Readability calculator, which assesses the number of words in each sentence as well as how many syllables the words contain. At least 22 states have readability standards for ballot measures, but not every state allows citizens to propose amendments, state laws and referendums like Arkansas does. The standards vary from state to state.

The Arkansas Attorney General, who oversees the first step of qualifying a citizen initiative for the ballot, would be required to reject the ballot title if it scored higher.

Not a single constitutional amendment proposed by Arkansas citizens or the legislature over the past decade scored at an 8th grade reading level when we ran them through this Flesch Kincaid calculator. Every amendment's title scored at the college or college graduate level. Two citizen-initiated laws to raise the state’s minimum wage did pass, scored at a 7^th grade reading level required.

Nationally, ballot titles score at a college reading level. More complex ballot titles score even higher at a college graduate level. Past Arkansas Supreme Court opinions have resulted in longer, more detailed ballot titles for citizen proposals. Legislative ballot titles do not undergo screening by the Arkansas Attorney General. Members of the House and Senate vote to put constitutional amendments on the ballot.

On March 19, House members passed the bill by a vote of 60 to 23 (seven additional legislators were as not voting and another 10 were marked as present). House Bill 1713 now heads to the Arkansas Senate for review and a vote in the Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee.

House Bill 1713 includes an emergency clause, which means if passed, the law would go into effect immediately upon the signature of the governor rather than later this summer. Citizen-led ballot issue groups wanting to put a constitutional amendment or state law on the 2026 ballot would have to follow this new requirement.

Rep. Ryan Rose of Van Buren is the sponsor.