The state Board of Election Commissioners on Wednesday voted to sign off on the ballot title and popular name for a proposed constitutional amendment that would change who redraws the boundaries of legislative and congressional districts.
But the board voted 5-1 not to sign off on the ballot title and popular name for a proposed constitutional amendment that would have created ranked-choice voting for most state offices.
Board Chairman John Thurston, who is the Republican secretary of state, abstained from voting on both proposals, citing his role as the state’s chief election official.
Stephanie Matthews, campaign manager for the Open Primaries Arkansas ballot committee that is promoting the ranked-choice voting amendment, said the committee plans to challenge the board’s ruling with the state Supreme Court.
The Arkansas Voters First committee is promoting the proposed constitutional amendment that would change who redraws the boundaries of congressional and legislative districts.
Both the Open Primaries Arkansas and Arkansas Voters First committees on Friday asked the state Supreme Court to compel Thurston to begin counting the signatures they submitted in their bids to qualify the proposals for the general election ballot. They also asked the state’s high court to order the secretary of state to provide them with more time — at least 30 days — to collect more signatures.
Eight days ago, Thurston announced that because of an error regarding criminal background checks, the petitions for three proposed constitutional amendments — on redistricting, ranked-choice voting and casinos — are insufficient to qualify for the November ballot.
The state Board of Election Commissioners decided Wednesday to delay a decision until next week on the popular name and ballot title for a proposed constitutional amendment that would authorize 16 more casinos in the state.
Read Thursday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.